Sakura Shippuden
by ChouzuTao
Summary: Story begins with Naruto's return at the beginning of the Shippuden series and goes all the way to the possible end of the series. NaruXSaku, BUT NOT FLUFF. Hope you enjoy my first try at a fanfic. :
1. Note from the Author before reading

Note from the author and some things to know before reading

First off thank you for chosing to read my fanfic, this is the first time I have ever done this. I was inspired to do so after reading several NaruSaku fanfics, some beautifully realized, others not so effective. But a strange thing I saw in a lot of them was they dealt with the future, when Naruto and Sakura had already supposedly gotten together. Not many dealt with the love during the series, understandably so, because of continuity or other such problems. But the ones that did deal with current timeline had, I saw as, one problem: Sakura and Naruto were already unshamefully doting on eachother, which I don't think is the case. I think they both do like each other, it's just that neither of them really realize how much yet, and they both still truly had to overcome the shadow in their relationship that was Sasuke. Naruto I feel, is more aware of his feelings for Sakura, he just doesn't know the depth yet, as he has so many other goals. Sakura on the other hand is completely unaware, and if made aware probably would be one to deny it intensely.

The last five days have been hard, as the story I wrote did start at the beginning of the Shippuden series. I start off with Kishimoto's work because I feel there' some unexplored or unexplained moments. I chose the chapters I felt were key in illustrating the blooming of their relationship. This is how I interpreted those scenes, which connects me to a point about the characterization of the characters themselves. I felt that a few in the fanfics, completely missed who and what the characters were, what they actually acted like. It seemed they sacrificed their characterization and growth for the sake of seeing their dream pairing come true. So I tried to keep as true to the characters as I could, but I would like to apologize because while writing I saw how hard it was to do this. The reason is simple: only Kishimoto knows. Only he really knows what characters intended to do when and why. Well, hopefully he does.

I know what you maybe wondering. "So this fanfic is just the manga?" My answer is only to a point, chapter… 3'ish, I think, but I think I make them my own scenes too. I follow some key moments until the most recent Manga issue, or I tried to do so. Unfortunately I didn't make my deadline: before the release of the new issue, so there maybe some continuity problems or plot holes. Today being Oct 4, 2007. But I put in chapters in the story where I think it doesn't clash with the story of the manga, meaning I think they could be counted as canon for the manga because they don't mess with the story. If you don't get that paragraph…. I guess the best answer is just read and see. It goes from the beginning of the Shippuden series that Kishimoto wrote to an ending I made up, stringing together tons and tons of theories, some being mine and some of others, some of which I don't agree with but fits the puzzle of my story the most.

That being said, whom I think this story about is Sakura… because in terms of character growth or 'love growth' she has the farther to go of her and Naruto. But the story is told from both points of view.

Before we get into the technicals of the story, I'd like to apologize to those who feel like I've misinterpreted or wrongly depicted a side-character. I don't like all characters in the show, and I don't get all of them, I tried to depict the ones I used the best I could

Since this is my first story, I didn't know exactly how to format it. So here's the run-down:

- When you see this[………………………………………………….. It indicates either a passage in time, short or long, or a change in scene or place, maybe from one group/person to another.

- When you see words or sentences that look like this: _Kage buushin no jutsu_, it is dialogue happening in someone's mind, like just thinking to themselves.

- When you see words or sentences that look like this: _"Kage buushin no jutsu"_ It means they're remembering someone saying something in the past

- When you see words or sentences that look like this: **Kage buushin no jutsu** or **KAGE BUUSHIN NO JUTSU** It usually is a sound

- When you see words or sentences that look like this: _**KAGE BUUSHIN NO JUTSU**_ It's the Kyuubi talking.

Hopefully that covers it all, I'm crossing my fingers. Hopefully it's easy to pick up the order of everything as you read. With that being said, I hope you enjoy it. If you have time to give it a review please do. If you have questions let me know. If you have any questions about theories or reasonings as to why certain people don't appear, like the rest of "Hebi" please message me. Also, I apologize for any grammar or spelling errors, because I only had proofread the work twice before publishing it, not to mention cutting out tons and tons of chapters, I felt was a little too much. Have fun. : )

-- Chouzu Tao


	2. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1: RETURN HOME **

This chapter takes place before and during manga chapter 245. Some of the dialogue is written by Kishimoto, 5 lines of dialogue to be precise.

He breathed in deep as the breeze slowly brushed over his hair. Clear and crisp. Somehow the air here simply felt better than where he had spent the last few years training with Ero-Sannin, one of the three great ninjas of the Shinobi Wars from his village, powerful in every sense of the word accept one. When it came to women he was very easily distracted.

It had been a 2-day walk, but today he was making his way home, and it was simply over the hill now. He could already see the mountain that overlooked his village. He was so excited to be back home. Well… not necessarily home. His apartment was bound to be dusty, but so what, it wouldn't be that much messier then how he had left it. He just didn't want to clean it. But who cares? He wasn't going to be cleaning that day anyway. It was a perfect day out. Nice and sunny, as if the weather was just as happy as he was that he was returning home. He wondered how his friends were. _I hope they're all still the same; Kakashi is probably still reading his ero-books, Shikamaru the lazy, Chouji –tebu, _this made Naruto chuckle, _Hinata, as cute as she was, was probably still a quiet person-- an under-spoken strange little girl. And…. then there was Her. She's probably a lot stronger now. I can't wait to see how much stronger she is._ After all the years of training, there was still a certain someone in the back of his mind. She was always there. She was one of the reasons he had trained to the brink of nudity, a strange concept, but Ero-Sennin had worked him so hard that all his old clothing had become nothing but piles of torn cloth. She was one of his closest friends. Just as much as it was for himself to become worthy of becoming Hokage, it was because of her, because of the promise he made and broke that he had scars on his body from training. His face which was a moment ago full of youth and joy, suddenly was riddled with sadness and depression. _Sasuke_…_ Why? Why couldn't you be happy with us?_ His lapse in sadness was only momentary as his heart raised again when the gates to his village became clear. The time it took for him to reach the gate seemed like a couple seconds. Before he knew it he was on top of the nearest roof, his arms outstretched as if to take in a welcome-home hug from the village itself. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath.

[…………………………………………………..

"Honda, Ishiro…. Hm… where'd his consent form go?" There in a black skirt, red top, stood one of the most physically powerful kunoichi in Konoha, Haruno Sakura.

"I missed this place," came a voice in the distance. "It hasn't changed one bit!"

She stopped what she was doing. Was it a figment of her imagination? She listened for a second before going to the window. She peered out to see just the village again. Standing at the window she stared at the clouds. She put her hand up against the glass stroking at a cloud that was within it's glossy frame, as if stroking a joyful past memory. She woke up unusually happy today. She didn't know why, all week she had thought to herself, _Maybe today is the day_, but it never was, so she didn't get her hopes up, but today she just found herself sighing happily all day during her job at the hospital. Suddenly there was a knock on her door.

"Sakura."

That commanding voice could only belong to one other woman besides her inner-self. In walks a blonde kunoichi, with two pony tails and a well endowed chest. This was Tsunade-sama, their Hokage, and the leader of the village.

"Yes?" Sakura replied.

"That Naruto kid… it seems he's returned to Konoha."

Sakura smiled deeply.

"I thought I heard his voice - oh… I'm sorry, Tsunade-sama, I'll finish filing these –"

"Forget about it for now. Take the rest of the day off."

"Eh?"

"I'll come with for a bit too."

_I'll bet she just wants to get away from Shizune-sempai._ Thought Sakura. Although Tsunade was the village leader, she did not enjoy the paperwork it entailed.

"Well? Are you gonna go see him or not?"

"Yes!" She smiled giddily as they left the room. It had been some years since she's seen the number one loud ninja. _I wonder if he's still got that high-pitched shrill voice?_ She thought back to him saying "Sakura-chaaaan." And as annoying as it was at the time, it was a missed voice.

"I wonder where he could be?" Tsunade wondered.

"I think I know." Sakura said, assuredly. _That Naruto, he's probably there already_

[…………………………………………………..

Naruto walked out of the hospital.

"Bummer!" He said disappointed. "I guess I just missed her."

"Oh? Girls, no matter how much I research them I can never truly understand them. They're never there when you need them." Jiraiya says, somewhat bitterly.

"What's wrong with him?" Kakashi asks.

"He got rejected." Naruto replies.

"What was that?! It wasn't even for research." Jiraiya whines.

"Research? Ero-Sannin, the way you research I don't think you'll ever know women." Naruto replies.

"Not true. I've learned a thing or two. They don't call me one of the great Sannin for nothing."

"No, they call you Ero.Se.Nnin."

"Although I've taught you a lot. You've still got some manners to learn."

"Now, now, you two." Kakashi said cutting in. "Naruto, weren't you going to get Ramen?"

"Right! Next stop, straight to Ichiraku Ramen!"

[…………………………………………………..

Naruto and Sakura had just ran into Shikamaru and Temari, and discussed the Chuunin exams. Naruto found out he was the only one left who was a Genin, the lowest rank of a ninja. They went their own way and then it was just him and Sakura again. He was the only Genin left in their grade… and Gaara was the Kazekage already? He was truly happy for his friend but he was also saddened. He had always wanted to be the first one in his group to reach Kage status, which is the job that Tsuande had.

_Enough of that_, he thought. I'm being sel-

"Naruto?" Sakura said interrupting his daze. "Is something wrong?"

"Eh? Nothing. Just thinking what kind of ramen I want to get. It's been so long since I've had Ichiraku Ramen from Konoha, I can't decide which flavor to get." Naruto said then scratching his head and grinning his casual grin, which he often used to defuse sad situations.

Sakura knew he was lying. She could tell because that's the face she made when she thought about Sasuke not being around. When she thought about how she was powerless to stop him, that unlike all the stories she had read, love was not enough to keep him away from darkness. But looking at Naruto's grin, she knew it was for her sake. He never really treaded on any sad subjects after Sasuke left. Knowing he was doing it for her, she smiled too.

"Neh, Sakura-chan?"

"Hm?"

"How long have you been a Chuunin?"

"About a year and a half. I took the exams again the year after you left."

"Soka- Hey, don't you need a team to compete?"

"I… I took it with a different team." She said sadly, her emerald eyes glancing at the ground.

Naruto noticed the sadness in her tone. He was sad too. But he couldn't bear her being sad.

"Did you face off against strong opponents?"

"Yeah. There was this one shinobi who could control the surr…"

She trailed off in his mind. He felt bad, but he couldn't help it. He was always so concentrated on anything Sakura said, sometimes he had to, to even begin to understand what she was telling him. But an old feeling, that he had long left behind, came creeping back into his mind, weighing down his heart. Even Sakura was a Chuunin. She was ahead of him. She left him behind. He was alone again. He always fell behind. He was last in his class just like in the academy.

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled. He heard knuckles cracking.

Those sounds snapped him to attention. It always meant great pain for him.

"Baka! Why did you ask me if you weren't going to listen?"

"Neh, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked in a low voice.

She noted again the uncharacteristic sadness in his voice. What was going on?

"Huh?"

"We didn't really get a chance to talk when I got back, people just kept popping up, and well…"

This was strange. What was Naruto aiming at? Sakura thought. Naruto looked over to Sakura, with a weird glimmer in his blue eyes. There was a sparkle in his eyes and his pupils dilated when he looked at her eyes. She found herself blushing slightly at this sight.

"…I missed you."

This caught Sakura completely off-guard. What a strange thing to suddenly say? Well… was it so strange? He was grown now. Almost a man. And he had made it clear since their academy days that he liked Sakura. So now it would only be natural that his feelings became more mature. She realized that what he had said was actually something he was asking. Did she miss him? Well of course she did, but not that way. Right?... She didn't know what to say…. Why?

"Baka, what a strange thing to say!" she said as she punched him on the noggin.

"A-heh heh, thank you." Naruto said as a large lump formed on his head.

"What? You're acting so weird. You want another?"

"No, no! It's just that… aheh… I missed the Sakura-punch too. A-heh-heh." He said scratching the back of his head.

That did it. As annoying and strange as he was being, that was actually cute in a way.

"Baka." Sakura said playfully this time. "Let's go."

"Hai."

They continued their walk towards the Ramen shop. Sakura was ahead of Naruto just a bit. They didn't say anything. It was kind of awkward after what Naruto said. Sakura was still kind of confused, and flushed. After awhile Naruto turned away again. Distant, once more lost in thought. _Sakura-chan probably didn't even think about me._

"Naruto."

"Hm?"

"Welcome back home." She said with a smile.

Naruto could feel a kind of warmness in Sakura's voice. Like she sort of answered his question. The impish look that so often defined Naruto's facial expressions as a kid returned. He suddenly realized the silence between them. He didn't like it. He liked hearing Sakura talk, even though most of the time, she (well anyone with him) was the listener. Not knowing what to say he just went ahead with whatever was on his mind at the time.

"Ne, Sakura-chan? You're favorite kind of Ramen is shrimp right?"

"Hai."

"Mine's chicken-flavored. I can't wait. I wonder if nee-chan has gotten any older looking. Probably not. Woo-hoo. Ramen-ga, ramen-ga, ramen-ga!" Suddenly he remembered his poor wallet's face. "Er… Sakura-chan?"

"Hai?"

"Do you mind splitting the bill?"

"EH?! Naruto! You're the one who wanted this to be a date. You should pay."

"But Toady's a little empty." He said shaking his wallet sadly.

"Naruto! You scrub!"

Sakura hits Naruto with a slight Sakura-punch – still enough to flatten him out.

"I'm going somewhere else."

"Aw! The Sakura punch." He says as he lays flat in the road.

Sakura blushes, Takes one look back but storms away.

_Stupid Naruto saying such stupid things..._

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Naruto and all characters within are copyrighted by and to Masashi Kishimoto. I don't own the rights.


	3. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2 NARUTO'S PRIDE:**

This chapter takes place during Manga chapter 261 right before the small scene where Chiyo-sama looks at Naruto who reminds her of Sasori when he was younger.

It was night now. She couldn't help but hear those words of Chiyo-sama and re-play that scene with Naruto over and over again in her mind. They were sitting around a campfire just as the food finished cooking. No one had said a word, especially Naruto. The horrifying truth about what would happen to Naruto should he be caught by Akatsuki rung in his head. Kakashi and Chiyo-sama simply did not know what to say because of what they sensed from Sakura and Naruto. Sakura was saddened by Naruto's pride. Earlier when Chiyo-sama had told them about jinchuurikis dying when their bijuus are extracted, she had started to cry. Naruto had made it seem like she was crying for Gaara when the truth was that she was crying for him. Was their relationship that distant that he had to hide his feelings from her? She knew he put up a front to make it seem like he was fine so she would stop worrying. He always seemed to do that. Even if he was afraid or sad, he never wanted to let anyone know. She looked over across the fire, there he was, staring into the flame, his eyes felt so all alone. She couldn't see him like that. He had always been so up beat, but after Gaara getting kidnapped she wasn't surprised. To Naruto it must seem like he was trying to save Sasuke all over again.

"Here Naruto," Sakura said, offering him a bowl of ramen she brought along. "You like this stuff right?"

"Arigato Sakura-chan." The blonde ninja said, taking the bowl. He wasn't hungry, but Sakura was trying to be nice to him and cheer him up, so how could he deny it? _I can't let her know how I feel._ He smiled again. That was his thing. That's what he did. He wondered when he had started doing it. The fake-smile. Of course he had smiled really from the bottom of his heart many times when he was with his friends and with Iruka, Kakashi-sensei, Sasuke, and Sakura, but he also had his fake smile… He had learned it as a means to cope with the world. To deal with the unhappy situations of growing up bearing a monster inside of himself. He used his smile to never let anyone know how much he was hurting, sad, scared. It served him well many times. But unknown to him, there were those who knew him well enough to see this. Sakura was one of them.

"You're welcome." She said smiling back at him. That smile, it made him forget for a second how unhappy he was, and then for a second she could see him smile for real too.

_I can only do the dumbest things for Naruto…_ She thought.

Before she could think any further he finished his bowl.

"That was amazing Sakura-chan. Thank you." Smile.

"Sure." She met his smile with her own.

Even Kakashi could not help but look at the two of them looking at each other.

"Excuse me. I'm going to sleep early." Naruto said, his smile disappearing from his face.

"Naruto…" Sakura-started as if about to ask something.

"Hm?"

She wanted to say a million things. _Why are you hiding from us? What are you trying to protect. Why don't you let us help you? Why don't you open up to us? To me? Aren't we still good friends?_ But she couldn't say any of that. "Good night" was all she could muster.

"Good night Sakura-chan." He said, smiling again. He went over and slipped into his bag. Burying himself. Trying to get away from his own thoughts. _I could die…._ He winced looking off into the darkness of the woods. _ But that doesn't matter… Gaara is a friend… and if I can't do this, how can I bring back Sasuke… and fulfill my promise to Sakura-chan?_

"Hm? Sakura, you haven't really touched your food. It's important we get you back at full strength tomorrow." Inquired the silver haired shinobi.

"He's right, we need you replenished." Said the Sand elder, sensing her frustration.

"I'm okay. I'm not that hungry. When you're done… I'll help clean up." said the pink Kunoichi. She needed to do something to get her mind off of it. She walked into the woods. This sadness. It was like he was away training again. He couldn't be there. She couldn't be with him. She lost Sasuke, and now it seemed like Naruto was miles away from her too. She felt helpless again. Alone. She sighed sadly folding her arms together after she jumped onto a tree branch. The moon was nowhere in sight. _That Naruto… trying to act all manly. Making me all angry._ She leaned her head back onto the cool bark of the tree as the damp air swam around her. _Why didn't you ever tell me? About the Kyuubi? _Her chest was heavy, she breathed in deep.

"Sakura…"

"Hey! KAKASH-SENSEI! What are you doing spying on me? You're not trying to do anything perverted are you?!" Sakura yelled suddenly startled.

The silver-haired shinobi held up his hands protesting.

"No. No."

She calmed down. Even though Kakashi liked reading those pervy books, he never did anything that made him seem like an open-pervert. But then she suddenly feels a burst of anger again swelling inside her, anger spawned from fear, and pain.

"Why does Naruto hide his feelings so much?!" She blurts out suddenly realizing she's taking out her anger on someone not there.

"Hm… probably the same reason you didn't ask him what you wanted to when he was going to sleep. He probably didn't want to be a burden to you."

"But he wouldn't be a burden to me!" Tears unexpectedly begin to appear in her eyes.

"Sakura, Naruto grew up not knowing his parents and never being recognized by anyone in the village. That smile that he dons so easily is probably used to hide how he feels. He's spent most of his life burying his feelings of pain and turning them into power. But now he has people who he cares for and who care for him. He is someone who knows the pain of others very well from his own experiences. And in any way possible he probably tries to prevent others from being sad, even at the expense of his own feelings."

_Did he do it for me? … Why?... Stupid Naruto…_

"Sakura?"

"Huh?"

"Um… we're done eating…." He said smiling underneath his mask.

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Naruto and all characters within the story are copyrighted and belong to Masashi Kishimoto.


	4. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3: A QUIET CHANGE**

[The events in this chapter take place during and between Manga Chapters 282-382, some of the dialogue is written by Masashi Kishimoto, about 11 total lines of dialogue and thoughts together

Recently having completed their mission to save Gaara, Team 7 discovered a possible means of meeting with Orochimaru and finding Sasuke. Naruto was on the search for a new teammate they could add to complete Team 7, allowing them to go on the mission, walking in every which direction asking everyone he knew.

Meanwhile, A girl with blue-ish-black, shoulder length hair makes her way down the streets not far behind a boy on a giant dog.

"Kiba-san, go on ahead, Shino may not be happy that we're late." The girl says.

"Hai, hai. But how many times do I have to tell you Hinata? Just call me Kiba. We're basically brother and sister."

"I'm sorry, Kiba-sa- er… Kiba."

"That's more like it." The boy says as he rushes on ahead. "Hurry, I heard it was an A-rank mission. Come on Akamaru. Wa-hoo!"

_It's been awhile since we've been on an A-rank mission. Kiba sure is excited. Hee-hee, sort of the way Naruto would be. _The blue-haired kunoichi thought, _Naruto-kun… I wonder where he is. He never wrote or anything. But… It's not like we're close friends or anything. Two and a half years. Naruto-kun, you're probably very strong now. He's probably more handsome now too. _Just the thought of Naruto-kun made her blush, let alone the thought of him being more handsome. It made her beet-red. Back when they were younger she could barely be within three feet of him without sweating a pool and turning an undiscovered shade of red. But now, now she had grown stronger too, she would surely be able to tell him how she felt.

"Kyaa!" She screamed as she reached the place where she was to meet her team only to find the boy she had liked since she could remember liking a boy, talking to her them. She quickly ducked behind the corner before he noticed her. _N… Naruto-Kun…!? He's so handsome! Ah!_ She thought scrambling to collect that bit of confidence she had a moment ago. _I heard he was back in the village, but… wh…what should I do… I'm still not ready yet… we haven't met for three whole years… what should I say… umm… umm…_

Before she could think what to say those shiny blue orbs she loved seeing so much, though barely dared to, rounded the corner.

"What? It's just you, Hinata!?" The blonde spoke rasply. "What are you doing hiding over here?"

Hinata's heart fell into her stomach. She couldn't look at him but surely that would be rude. She tilted her head ever so slightly to meet Naruto's eyes. _I can do this._ Her thoughts determined. Before she turned, she was already sweating like mad. _Naruto-kun is so close to me- YOU CAN DO IT!_ She turned to look at the now fat-less face, of the silky blonde-haired, sky-blue eyed, shinobi. _IT'S NO GOOD!_ Before even Naruto could say anything she fainted.

"What the?!" Naruto cried worriedly, although he shouldn't have. _Why does this happen every time?_ He thought. "Hinata, why are you falling over like that?! HEY!"

The boy with his dog came running over.

"Why is it that you always faint when you see Naruto?" complained Kiba.

"I see you didn't have any problem recognizing Hinata either… Naruto." Shino said behind his shirt's collar, as he walked over to them.

….

"Ah man, this is no good." Kiba sighed upset. He usually was the one who took care of her afterwards, when Naruto went on his way. Only, this time Naruto didn't leave. He held Hinata in his arms.

"Hinata-chan, Hinata-chan!"

Hinata came-to just long enough to realize she was being held by Naruto. She fainted again, only this time going completely limp.

"Hinata-chan….Neh, neh, Kiba? Why does she always do this?" He asked inquisitively.

"You mean you really don't know?"

"Ummmmmmmmmm….hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm… should I?"

"So you only trained your muscles when you left I see."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Kiba, It's really not our place to say." Shino said butting in.

[…………………………………………………..

_Was it all a dream?_ Her lavender eyes slowly focused as she opened them. Akamaru was licking her face.

"Sorry…" said a recognizable voice. "Really wish we could help you out."

"Mm…. that's too bad." Naruto replied.

_It wasn't a dream!_

"Ah, Hinata, I see you're finally awake." Kiba says.

Naruto looks over to the lavender-eyed kunoichi. She has definitely grown, even more so than Sakura (suddenly a vision of evil Sakura appears in his mind.) _Sorry, Sakura, sorry_… _but she still wears big jackets._ He noticed.

"Are you okay?" The blonde said grinning his knucklehead grin that she enjoyed so much.

"Um… I… I was just … surprised w…w…when Naruto-kun, came around the corner."

"A-heh. Sorry about that. I didn't mean to scare you." He said placing both hands behind his head.

"No! That's not it. Naruto-kun could never scare me." She yelled as if defending his honor.

"Heh. What were you doing over there? Hiding from me?"

She was beet-red again.

"Um… I … I'm sorry for being rude." She says bowing her head.

"Here, let me help you up" Offering his hand to her.

"NO!" Kiba and Shino shouted simultaneously as Akamaru barked.

_I must be able to do this._ Hinata assured herself. _Just take deep breaths. _

She put her hand on Naruto's. **Red face. **_Please don't sweat too much please don't sweat too much._ She repeated again and again in her mind.

Kiba's jaw dropped, and even Shino's, though his was masked. Never did they think this possible. When she finally got to her feet, Kiba smiled.

"Kiba, I need to talk to you for a moment." Shino said, insistently.

"But-"

"Over here. Kurenai-sensei isn't here yet anyway."

"Oh!" Kiba said almost too obviously, but luckily Naruto is still quite oblivious to such things.

"Are you okay?" Naruto Said, helping Hinata over to a bench. "You're breathing pretty heavily."

**Red face level 2**. Level 3 and the sweating and shaking begins.

"I'm sorry Naruto-kun."

"Oh, no it's ok, you're breath smells good."

**Red face level 3, begin the sweating and shaking.**

_Oh no, I was breathing on him. I need to calm down… but he said my breath smelt good._ This last thought made her happy. _Okay, Hinata, time to show him the new you._

"Naruto-kun…"

"Hm?"

"Well… you've… you've been away awhile. And since getting here, you… you probably have a lot of people to see. S… So we haven't had a chance to talk…."

_Hm… what's she getting at? She seems a little weirder than usual._ Naruto thought, trying as hard as he could to keep his attention on her, knowing she was trying hard to say something.

"Well…. What I'm trying to say is… I… I…"

_I can do it. I can say it…. JUST SAY IT!_

"I missed you." She finally got out.

_He's probably not going to say the same thing. He's probably been busy getting stronger. He hasn't had time to think of anyone else._

"I missed you too, Hinata-chan." He said smiling.

**Beyond red face! Beyond red face!**

_I can't faint, I can't faint, I won't faint. He said he missed me too!_ She was so truly and deeply overjoyed from the very depths of her being. Just the fact that he thought about her once. It was a great feeling.

"Hrm…." Naruto said observing her.

He was staring at her so intently…. _Everyone seems the same, and for the most part she does too… but something's different, in the past, we've never had very long conversations._ And yes, he couldn't help but notice that she was slightly more developed then Sakura-chan but all that went away the second Evil Sakura popped into his head again.

_Oh no… why is he looking at me?_ Hinata thought panicking.

"Hinata-chan, you seem different."

_Am I more like a woman?_ is what she wanted to ask.

His eyes observed more intensely.

**Caaaaan't…. handle…. Anymore…..** She was ready to burst…. Is this all a dream, did she not wake up from fainting before?

"You definitely seem a lot stronger." He said, smiling and putting his hand on her shoulder.

Kurenai, who had been in the trees watching for a few minutes, smiles.

"Hinata, we should go." Shino insists, ever the leader.

"Hai."

_Phew! That was close, a little bit more and I would've been out for days._

_Al-right! Exclaimed a tiny little blue-haired girl._

_Who are you?_

_I'm Inner-Hinata._

Kurenai jumping out of the trees.

"Naruto. It's good to see you back."

"Arigato, Kurenai-sensei."

"Shino, Kiba, Hinata, let's go."

"HAI!"

They all took off accept for Hinata.

"It was nice talking to you Hinata-chan." And Naruto meant it. He had never known her to be so concerned with him.

Hinata stood up.

"Um… Naruto-kun?" She said… twiddling her fingers.

"Mm?"

"I … I... You're training… I mean… I would like to hear more about your training, if you ever have time. Would… would you like to meet somewhere… sometime? and tell me some stuff?"

"Sure."

She blushed only a little this time. Then bowed and ran to catch up with the others who had already started off.

"It's a daaaate!" he yelled, not really thinking.

**Code omega** She fainted mid-jump and was caught by Akamaru and Kiba.

"It's a good thing we decided to come back. K-yeah. That Naruto…"

Naruto stood there as they went off. Suddenly remembering what he was doing that was so urgent. _Still…_ He smiled one last time before going. _…Someone did miss me._

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Naruto and all characters within the story are copyright of Masashi Kishimoto.


	5. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4: SAKURA'S DREAM**

[This occurs when Sakura hits her head on the ground when they fight Orochimaru, between Manga Chapter 290-301, the visuals themselves were taken and re-interpreted from those issues

Everything is dark….

_Where am I?_

Hello?

Suddenly a little girl with pink hair and a red bow appears in the darkness.

_Hey that's me…. Why am I so little?_

The little version of her is wandering around in the darkness. Nothing and no one else in sight.

_Where is everyone? Why am I alone?_

Suddenly two figures appear, a little blonde boy and a dark haired boy. Little Sakura runs over to them and smiles. They start to walk.

_Why don't they look at each other? _

As they continue to walk they both grow taller and taller, while she stays short. They both grab for her hand. Each one grabbing one side of her. They start pulling to get her.

_Stop._ _Stop!_

The boys don't listen as they continue to pull.

_Stop!_

The boy with the blonde hair lets go, but suddenly he is enveloped in red bubbles and falls to all fours. He hunches over in what seems like pain. Scared, the little pink haired girl grabs firm to the dark haired boy who takes no notice in the other boy's pain or her. Suddenly he starts trying to get his arm free of her. She starts to cry holding on desperately. The dark haired boy finally breaks free of her forcefully, resulting in her falling. She cries even more now. But he pays no mind and runs off. The blonde boy hears her crying and runs over to her, as scary as he looks, he pats her on the head and as he runs by her after the dark haired boy he smiles ever so slightly. She stops crying for a moment trying to figure out what he's going to do. The dark haired boy falls into dark water as the blonde boy runs after.

_I said stop!_

She sees a vision of the dark boy in the distance with the blonde boy far behind in water. He is drowning, reaching out.

_Wait… don't go. _

The dark haired boy almost disappears.

_Sasuke…!_

The blonde boy is alone now, drowning alone. Suddenly the water starts to turn red and bubble and as it fizzes down a cage appears in front of the blonde boy. Behind the cage is darkness. But suddenly a slight glow illuminates a monstrous figure within. With two glowing eyes. The pink haired girl who is grown now can only watch as the boy floats past the bars of the cage. The creature reaches forward with both its hands, hungry and happily. He starts to glow as does the boy, and when the boy suddenly glows the brightest, the creature slams its hands together on the boy. Sakura starts running towards the boy but never seems to make any ground, she begins to open her mouth as if to scream but before a sound comes out.

"HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHUUH!" She gasps snapping to in a cold sweat. Yamato is there. A sharp pain shoots through the back of her head.

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Naruto and all characters within the story are copyright of Masashi Kishimoto.


	6. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5: THE DAYS OFF**

[This takes place after the mission assigned to them in Manga 310 and happens before Manga Chapter 311

They walked out of the building after completing the mission that Tsunade had assigned right after their return from the Sasuke mission. They were given the rest of the week off, but were on-call should something come up. After leaving the building Naruto stood quiet… He watched as Sakura walked side by side with Sai… He wasn't one to get jealous… or if he did, he could always easily hide it. But since they got back Sakura spent most of the time speaking with Sai…. And he didn't mind Sai that much either, especially after his actions on the Sasuke mission. _I suppose he's more up beat._ _I can't blame her… Sasuke's not there, I can't replace him … She didn't even miss me when I went away… because I wasn't Sasuke… Sai's sort of like him… Well,_ he snapped out of his trance_… at least she's happy._

"Neh, Sakura-chan?"

"Hm?"

"I'm gonna go to Ichiraku would you like to come too?"

"Sure. A Team 7 group meal. How about it Sai?"

"I would like that." He replied robotically.

_He's gonna ruin everything…_

"Neh, Sakura-chan… I was thinking… we could-"

"Sai's coming too." She said giving a deadly stare.

"Yes… sure he can come." The blonde said horrified…

_Rejected… _He just wanted to spend some time with her, alone. He knew it was selfish… but it was truly what he wanted. It was clear to him, or so it seemed, that she didn't want that. As a boy he could've shrugged it off… that wasn't as important to him as training but now… he was older… he wanted more…

"Thank you, but I must report somewhere first. I shall meet you both there?" Sai asked almost more like telling them.

"Yeah." Sakura smiled,.

"Ne, Sakura-chan?"

"Hm?"

"We'll get strong together right?"

"Yes."

"Would… would you like to train with me tomorrow?"

"I can't, I have to run errands for Tsunade-sama all day."

"What? Just tell baa-chan that the future Hokage requested a day off for you."

"Can't do it." She said insistently, "I've been away quite a bit since you came back and I've been falling behind in my other jobs. Not everyone can just train all day like you."

"Is that so….?" Naruto said, not fully understanding.

"How about the day after tomorrow?" He wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"Hm….."

Naruto was watching her intently now for even the slightest bit of a chance.

_She giggled inside. __**HEY STOP **_**THAT!** shouted Inner-Sakura…. _Opps sorry, but _he_ really wants to train together… well I haven't really seen his full potential yet since we've gotten back… maybe we could learn a thing or two from each other. I guess I could, it wouldn't be like it was a date or anything…._

"… you're so annoying Naruto… maybe… I'll meet you there."

"When? I'm free all day." Naruto's eyes lit up.

"I don't doubt that."

"Hm?" the blonde made a noise, what did she mean by that?

"When do you usually train?" Sakura asks.

"Noon." He said before even thinking.

_Noon? I don't even get up that early…._ _Better set that alarm thingie to super loud… _

They were steps from the front of the restaurant by this point.

"I wonder when Sai's going to get back."

_Sai…?_ Naruto sighs sadly in his head…. _I don't really want to be around to watch Sakura all over him._

"Eh… you guys go ahead. I think I'm going to go train." He says, feigning a smile.

"Okay." Sakura said smiling.

_She must not want me here…_

_He must not want to stay…_

"Have fun. Tell nee-chan I said hi." Naruto smiled.

"See you later." The blonde said waving and smiling away like it was no big deal. She waved back.

_There's his smile… he's hurting… What are you doing? I can't be with him right now… not alone. I have to figure out my feelings for him first… _

_"The Truth is, you-"_ Yamato's words, they rung in her ears even after Sasuke had left again…

_I don't think I like him, I don't! B…because I love Sasuke…. … Naruto has only ever been like a good friend to me… Sasuke is who I trained to be with… Yamato's words…. They just confused me is all…._ Yeah, right.

Poof! Sai appears in front of the store.

_If I stay away from Naruto for a while, these feelings will go away… Besides… Sai… Sai's here. Yes… he is… and so what? Well.. he's really hot… and … he's sort of like…_ She cut off her own thoughts but the truth came out anyway. _Like Sasuke? You are on the rebound._ She denied it to herself but she knew it was true. But she didn't care, she couldn't afford to be sad anymore. And if she was with Naruto right now they would both just be sad. No one saying the truth to either about how they felt, always hiding behind smiles.

"Sakura-san?" Sai asked almost more curious about her expression then concerned.

"Hrm?"

"Is something troubling you?"

"Mm? No."

"Do you want to eat something else?"

"No…" She smiled for his concern. "You haven't eaten here before I bet."

Around the corner, Naruto had dropped his façade and pocketed his hands… and his smile. There was no one there to see him. The air was humid, and it was hot today. He unzipped his jacket and let the moist wind fill him as he took in a deep breath and continued to walk towards the training grounds.

_Sasuke… Sasuke… how could you walk away from us? I can't understand why you would walk away from our friendship… let alone Sakura-chan… she waited for you. Sakura… Sasuke, we may have a lot of power, but she's stronger than us both. Dealing with a baby and someone who's never there for her… Here I am… alone, jez, how sucky. She's probably going to have a great time with Sai, and that's that…_

He walked quietly all the way to the training grounds. The place where it all started. Team 7, the three-man cell. He was tied to the tree, and they were eating.

**Kkrrsh.**

A rustle in the leaves startled him.

"Who's there?"

"Um… it's… it's me…" A figure walked out of the bushes close by.

"Oh. Hinata-chan. Its just you."

His words were always callous sounding when in reference to her, but he never meant it to be, that's why Hinata was never really hurt when he said things like that. She knew he meant no harm.

"Are…Are you here to train?" asked the lavender-eyed kunoichi

"Hm? Yeah. I'm just resting first. Resting before you train is a good way to build muscles…" He said trying to cover for himself if by some chance she had been there before him already.

_That was lame…. Smile!_ He smiles scratching the back of his head.

"Are you here training too, Hinata?"

"I… I… Um…." _Quick Hinata… think of something._

**Red face level 1.**

"I was just going home when I saw you walking over to the training grounds alone. I thought you might need a training partner."

_Great… now he's going to think you're a stalker_

"Oh… well you see, the thing is, I've got some super-secret stuff, Ero-Sennin taught me, he said I could never show anyone else…." The truth was he didn't really want to train at all… he just wanted to be left alone at the moment.

"Is that so… I'm sorry." Hinata said feeling rejected.

"But thank you Hinata. You're a sweet girl."

_He thinks I'm sweet?_

**Red face level 2. Sweat and stutter.**

"You're training… um… Your time away. We were going… to…"

"Oh, that's right, I promised we'd-"

"A date…" Hinata blurted before she could think.

_Hinata, you idiot!_ She scolded herself.

"Oh yeah. I did call it that, huh?" Naruto said grinning.

_She's cute, huh? Really cute. He honestly did think Hinata was cute… now that he thought about it._

"Well, I did say we'd go on a date huh? Well, I made a promise to Hinata-chan, and I don't break promises. That's my ninja way. So… when and where would you like to go on our date?"

_He's really asking me out… that's it. I'm gonna faint._ She was extremely flush now, and her skin, which was always so fair toned, was strawberry red now.

_WAIT!_ Butted in inner Hinata. _You need to stay awake, please._

"Um…. I … I don't know… Where would you like to go N… Naruto-kun?"

"Er… Hm…" He didn't know. He'd never gone on a date with anyone he liked before. "Um… where would you like to go Hinata-chan?"

"H…How about… Ichiraku Ramen?" honestly she didn't care either way but she knew this was his favorite place.

"Oh yeah. That's a great--"

_Hm… wait a minute._ He thought, he wasn't that dense, maybe he was as a kid, but Jiraiya-sama's preaching had left at least some good in his ear when it came to the opposite sex. That wasn't a place people took each other for dates. Didn't seem very… what was the word… 'romantic' enough.

"Actually Hinata, I'll think of something different."

"I… It's okay, Naruto-kun. I… I really don't-"

"Nope, nope. I'm going to take you someplace special." He said standing up proudly. "If I'm going to be Hokage one day, I can at least come up with some place better than Ichiraku Ramen."

Hinata smiled. He was being such a dork. A very proud dork. A very loud proud dork. But that's one of the things she liked about him. His boyish optimism and his take charge attitude.

"Where… where are we going Naruto-kun?"

_AH! Even after all that I still don't know._

"Um… I'll surprise you tomorrow..."

_Tomorrow? Oh no. We have three B- rank missions lined up._

"I'm … I'm sorry for not telling you, Naruto-kun… but my team has missions tomorrow."

"Hm…." He tried to think of a better time and day and for some reason a certain time popped into his head first. "How about the day after tomorrow?"

"When?" She said quietly now, barely able to speak now.

"Hm?... When? … Noon?"

"Noon."

_Oh man, that only leaves me 30 hours or so…. Um… I better go get some pointers._

"Um… I'll let you know tomorrow somehow okay? I'm sorry, Hinata-chan, I gotta run."

"Naruto-kun…?"

_Quick, think of a reason why you have to go, other than lack of dating experience._

"I drank some past due milk…." He called back to her.

_Smart genius._ He thought sarcastically.

"Naruto-kun…" Hinata said out loud blushing out of embarrassment.

_I have a date with Naruto-kun!_

Inner-Hinata- _Um_… _hoorah!!_

She just smiled and looked up at the night sky. As Naruto wandered away in a panic.

_Who am I going to ask? Who am I going to ask? _Er… Iruka-sensei… where would he be at this hour?

It just so happened that at the Ichiraku Ramen shop Iruka was sitting down with Sai and Sakura.

"So you're the new team member in Naruto's group eh? My name is Iruka, I'm a teacher at the academy."

"Good to meet you Iruka-sensei." Replied Sai, as if with protocol.

"Speaking of Naruto…. Where is he?"

Sakura looked sadly at the ground.

"He went off to train."

"Oh? Is that so? Of course. He's going to be mighty strong, but he's going to end up awfully lonely let me tell you." He said jokingly.

"Why is that?" Asks Sai honestly with a puzzled look stretched across his face.

"Huh? Well…"

"Hey! Iruka-sensei." Called a young voice from behind them. It was Konohamaru. "Have you seen Naruto- nee-san anywhere?"

"He's at the training grounds." Iruka answers.

"Hey, it's rude to come in here without buying Ramen, young man." Said Ichiraku, pridefully.

"Sorry, old man. I've gotta show Naruto a new technique I made."

"OH!" Iruka said happily, but then a sudden blank pause fell on his face as he realized what Konohamaru was talking about… "Hey!... it's not what you did-"

"Heh-heh, You don't want me to show it here, do you?"

Iruka-sensei suddenly stiffens up.

"You will not." Was all he could reply as his nose started to bleed a little.

"Gotta go." With that, the mini-Naruto ran off.

_It's probably some pervy jutsu… judging by Iruka's nose. _Thought Sakura.

Sai just looks on confused.

"He reminds me a lot of Naruto." Iruka said chuckling.

"Yeah, perverted and all." Sakura answers disappointed.

"Now, now… he's not all that bad is he?" says Iruka laughing.

"No… no he's not." Replied Sakura, suddenly staring into nowhere.

Iruka and Sai take notice of her demeanor.

"Iruka-sensei!" came a voice from a little away.

Who should arrive but Naruto. He pauses for a second when he sees Sakura…

"Hello, Naruto."

"Hi Sai."

"Done training already? You really should take it more seriously, you need all the help you can."

"NAAAAAAANI?!"

Sakura covers Sai's mouth immediately.

"Hey, Naruto… would you like to sit down and have a bowl of Ramen? I'll treat, of course." Said the teacher, like a father offering in order to have some time with a son.

"Um… actually…"

He looked at Sakura… who quickly snapped to attention.

_Maybe I could ask her… No… I don't want to ask her._ He looks away.

_What's going on? Why did he look at me?_ She panics.

"Why don't you join us, Naruto?" said the pink kunoichi, offering politely.

"Aheh… actually I left training because I have a question for Iruka-sensei."

"For me? I don't think I can teach you anything after Jiraiya-sama" Said the teacher humbly.

"Er… it's a special kind of training. Can we talk somewhere else?"

Iruka noticing the desperation in his eyes he understood this was urgent to him.

"Okay. Please excuse me." He bowed to Sakura and Sai, and paid, then left with Naruto.

"He was acting strange…" Sakura said thinking out loud.

"Sakura-san. Do you think something's wrong with Naruto?" Replied an inquisitive Sai.

"Hm?"

"Were you staring at his penis? It is rather small, hm?"

"What a thing to say?!"

If this were anyone else, namely Naruto. She would've let a Sakura-punch fly.

"What?" Replied the emotionless ninja very innocently.

"Sai, you can't talk about things like that in public. It's considered taboo. Anything about other's…. other's…" She almost blushed as she told him. "…private parts."

"Oh, you mean like if I said you had a flat chest?"

_FLAT CHEST?! _

_**Sakura punch launching in 10…9…**_ announced inner-Sakura

_He was cute… but not that cute._

"Sai…" She breathed… "you should go home now."

_**8….7…..**_

"Why?"

"Just trust me."

_**6…..5….**_

"Did I-?"

"GO!"

With that Sai ran off like a wooden doll told to run, as steam pours out of Sakura's nostrils. 

_**Sakura-punch de-activated.**_

She let out an annoyed sigh.

_Why are boys all so rude? … Speaking of rude boys, I wonder why Naruto was being so suspicious._

[…………………………………………………..

In an alley close by Naruto had explained the basic outline of his predicament to Iruka. He was walking next to his former teacher sheepishly, as he had never asked for this kind of advice before. He was given advice before but he was simply force-fed it by Ero-Sannin whether he wanted to hear it or not.

"Oh, I see… Aheh," He said scratching the back of his head.

"Why are you laughing Iruka-sensei?"

"This might be something even a Sannin can't teach about, huh?"

"Well he did." The blonde ninja said kind of embarrassed. "But it was a different kind of school." Truth is, Naruto did go on a date before. He was forced on a double-date with Ero-Sannin, and following his tutelage, Naruto wound up with a giant red hand print on his face for a week. Her strength rivaled that of Sakura's.

"Heh."

"What now?"

"Well, it's just funny. I guess there's still stuff I can teach you, hm?"

"Only when it comes to this stuff. I could beat you in a match with my eyes closed."

"Oh-ho? Is that a challenge?" Iruka asked proudly.

"Iruka-sensei, I would like to fight you once." He replied honestly.

Iruka smiled, as did Naruto.

"So?"

"Well, honestly… my advice would be to ask a girl for advice."

_A girl? But who could he ask?… He didn't know many girls at least in Konoha… He didn't want to ask Sakura…. And he couldn't ask Hinata._

"Why not ask Sakura?"

"I can't…"

"Why not? She's a close friend right?"

Naruto only looked at the ground. For some reason the thought of asking her- someone he had liked all his life, just felt wrong… especially since she didn't return the feelings._ It would just be depressing to ask her._ He thought.

"Oh! That's who this is for huh?"

"No it's not her." This sentiment sat in the back of his mind, where all his sad thoughts were. He wished it were. Iruka saw Naruto's burdened gaze. He smiled bitter-sweetly. Here was this boy, he had basically raised like a father would in the academy, who was now grown, who had feelings that were as complex and as confusing as any adult human being. He was grown, but now he started to have to bear the burden of being older.

"Nartuo…."

Unknown to them creeping not far behind in the shadows was the pink kunoichi, trying to keep a certain pace with the two and avoid detection.

"What am I going to do Iruka-sensei?" I've only a day and a half to prepare…

_A day and a half? That's when we're going to train… Naruto… what are you up to?_

"Sorry, Naruto. I've always heard to never ask a man for a woman's opinion."

_Who can I ask? Kakashi?... No, he probably gets most of his information from Ero-Sannin's books… hrm… OH!_

"I guess I can ask Ino…." After all she was never one to be quiet about anything.

"She's probably asleep by now. They had a long day of missions too, you know?"

"Hm… I guess it is pretty late. I'll ask around tomorrow."

"Arigato, Iruka-sensei!" He said smiling and running off.

"Good luck on your date Naruto!" Iruka called after his surrogate son.

Sakura caught wind of the last few words.

_DATE!!!!! Huh? Huh?! Did I hear right? Is he treating our training session as a date? No way! But that would explain his strange look, and why he didn't want to talk to me much._

"_The truth is, you…."_ There were Yamato's words again. _Maybe… _She thought… A small smile cracked across her face.

As he ran off… she could only think one thing… _Naruto, you idiot. Who would train for their first date?_

[…………………………………………………..

The next day, as soon as he woke up, which for Naruto was around 1 p.m. He got up, determined to figure out everything he needed to: where to go, and what to wear. He was in such a hurry that he didn't brush his teeth… he used mouthwash. He ran to the edge of his balcony, leapt onto his ledge, landing on his forefeet, with one arm holding on the railing for support.

"First stop: Ino." He declared determined.

Ino----

"Sorry Naruto… I've gotta work in the shop today."

"But you could answer my questions still…"

"If you're going to stay in here you have to buy something."

_Fair enough, for a little information, and hey! I can give it to Hinata._ He thought getting out his little frog pouch.

"How about this rose?"

"10 ryou"

"10? … Okay, how about this carnation?"

"15 ryou."

"What? For a carnation?"

"What? Don't like our prices? Then get out."

"No, no that's not it… how about baby's breath?"

"25 ryou."

"EH!" Naruto fell over. No way baby's breath would be more expensive than a carnation or rose. He got up and took a closer look at the price tag. "But it says right here '.25 goa'"

"It's marked wrong."

"I can't afford that right now…. Aheh, heh, can I get an advance?"

Ino just looked at Naruto harshly.

"Come on couldn't you just answer some questions Ino… please, please?"

"Naruto! I said no! Ask someone else."

Who was he to argue? The longhaired blonde kunoichi was to be as feared as Sakura and two veins had already appeared on her head. Naruto didn't want any lumps this morning…. Er… afternoon. Naruto turned around and walked out, defeated.

_Scratch that one. Who am I going to ask next?_

Tenten-----

"Sorry Naruto… I don't really know any of the stuff… I don't know, maybe take her for a training session." The weapons master answered. Never having gone on a date herself….

"Neiji?"

"How the hell would I know what a girl wants?!" The Hyuuga boy answered annoyed and offended.

Naruto dragged his feet away as he was down to his last kunoichi friend other than Sakura and Hinata left.

_What am I going to do now? I don't know many kunoichi… and I can't just ask random girls… Sakura-chan… I guess I will have to ask her… oh man… this is going to be very painful._

------------------------------------------------

Earlier that day…

As she was running her errands for Tsunade, Sakura noticed Naruto walking out of the flower shop, and when she was sure he was out of sight she walked in.

Ino who had just finished arranging flowers for someone, turned to notice Sakura walking in.

"You…? We don't have any funeral flowers for your face today."

_Joy, this is going to be great getting an answer from Ino._

"A heh heh." She laughed along secretly shooting mind kurenais at her. "Good morning Ino-san."

"Good morning, Sakura-san." Almost returning in a mimic-ing fashion.

"You look nice today."

"What do you want?" the blonde kunoichi said getting right to the point

"What?"

"What do you want fore-head girl? You only act kind to me when you want something."

A huge vein appeared on Sakura's head. She had grown up over the three years yes, but Ino, being her rival since childhood, always knew which buttons to push.

_Breathe Sakura…. You need her help with this. But how am I going to word this?_

"That's not true. We're friends." She said smiling with venom.

Ino stood there observing Sakura for a moment then went about work.

"Alright then… I guess I'll just make my way out. I'm needed somewhere actually."

"Neh, Ino-san… why was Naruto in here?"

Naruto? This peaked Ino's interest enough that she stopped preparing to leave.

"Why do you want to know?"

Her face was almost the same color as her cherry-blossom hair now. Did Ino suspect something?

"Well… he's just been acting weird lately." Replied the pink haired kunoichi safely.

"Hah. Yeah. I'll say."

The pink haired girl waited for an answer and as much as Sakura was her rival, she was too much of a talker to hold out. "Well. If you must know, he was in here getting ready for a date. Asking questions like what to wear and where to go-"

_Where to go?_ Her thoughts drowned out Ino._ Maybe he's going to take me somewhere after… So that cunning little knucklehead is planning something._ She smiled.

"Thanks Ino-san!" She said darting out.

"Wait I haven't told you everything yet!" Ino yelled after her childhood friend, but Sakura couldn't hear, she was in her own little world.

_That blockhead, he never could get a date with me so he used training as an excuse huh? Maybe he isn't such a blockhead._

She continued on her daily tasks smiling while doing it all. Humming even. She asked herself why she did so, quite often, after all it was just Naruto… why was she so happy then? She would then turn it off for a while but the smile and the humming always came back.

[…………………………………………………..

It was the end of her shift at the hospital. Sakura walked out, still humming.

"Neh, Sakura-chan…." Spoke a raspy voice from overhead.

She recognized that voice and looked up and sure enough, sitting above the sign for the hospital was the blonde haired ninja boy, hunched over.

"You work for a very long time."

"Of course, not all of us can get by not working at all like you."

"I waited forever."

_He waited for me the entire time?_ She put her hand to her mouth.

"I… I need your help with something." Naruto paused, as if second-guessing himself. This look confused Sakura greatly. What was wrong?

"Really? What's that?"

"If you were a girl…"

A vein appeared on her head. Naruto could feel a cold stare piercing him.

_W'oh… killing intent, I said a bad thing…. Say something else, say it now!_

"UH! If you were to go on a date… where would you want to go?" he blurted out as if his life depended on it.

The wind breezed over Sakura. And she smiled.

_Look at him… he's so boyish it is kind of cute._

"Why do you ask?"

"Well I have a date, see…"

"Oh really?" She asked rhetorically, and almost sheepishly, but coming from Sakura it barely read to Naruto.

"…. Yeah."

_Why is Sakura-chan acting so weird?_

"Hm… well… I've always dreamed of having a picnic at the waterfall behind the training fields."

"Waterfall?"

"Mm-hm. This time of year, it's gorgeous."

"Picnic?"

This was surprisingly less painful then he originally thought it was going to be. He thought it would stay that way as long as their exchange didn't last very long, but came the very strange question.

"Um… I need another favor Sakura-chan…"

"Hm?"

"Let's say we were going on a date- I mean….no… that's not what I meant…. Well… I…."

"Hm?" Sakura blushed.

He was flustered for words.

_Oh no… she's going to think I'm asking her out and reject me right away and then that'll be the end of the conversation…_

He covered his ears waiting for Sakura's booming voice to reject him.

She giggled a little, he was cute when he was flustered too…

_Is he re-asking me out?_

"Um… ah…Can you help me find something that would… make me look good for a date?"

"I don't know… I'm pretty busy…" She teased.

_Oh no, not her too. At this point I may as well just ask Hinata…_

"Please?" He said, desperate and defeated.

She smiled and put a finger to her mouth.

"Fine." Putting her hands on her hips. "But you owe me one."

"Sure."

_She sure is smiling a lot… and she's acting really strangely… I should've gotten Sakura-punched before…. Or yelled at, at least… It doesn't matter._ He looked at her smile. All that mattered was that she was smiling at him again… that happy smile, the real one.

"Shall we?" Sakura smiled and off they went.

_Hinata!_ Naruto remembered something.

"Oh… wait." He said realizing he should inform Hinata right away of where they were going tomorrow. He struck his trademark pose, and with a puff of smoke another version of him appeared.

"You know what to do. Don't get lost."

"Yes sir!" The other one yelled striking a military salute, then jumping away.

"Okay, now we can go."

"Right." She smiled.

She walked side by side with him all day… They searched and searched. It was annoying at first, because although Naruto didn't wear the same outfit every living moment of his life he only had three colors he could really stand, orange, black, and dark-blue, anything else he always complained about. They went through several shops but Sakura finally picked out an outfit she thought he would look good in. But before she could see him in it, she was summoned to help Shizune with the collection of herbs.

"See you _tomorrow_." She said, smiling.

"Yeah. See you. Thanks Sakura-chan!" He said waving back.

_Tomorrow… ? she said that weird. Wonder what she is talking about? Oh, she probably means just seeing each other around._

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Naruto and all characters within the story are copyright of Masashi Kishimoto.


	7. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6:THE BIG DATE**

[This happens before the events of Manga Chapter 311

The day after the next. It was the big day. He had barely gotten any sleep, he felt like he did the day before his match with Neiji during the chuunin exams. Naruto's eyes reluctantly cracked opened and he slowly rolled over to his side and yawned, stretching out his arms, and let out somewhat of a lion's roar. He sat up in his bed and looked over to his alarm clock, which to his surprise was in shambles.

_Hm… that's strange…. Must have hit it too hard._ This was not surprising to him, since he barely ever used his alarm clock. It must have annoyed him too much. The time read 11:35 a.m. He let out one more carefree yawn.

_11:35!!!!!!!!_

"Crap! I'm late!" His eyes bulged…. I have to skip out on something… shower? No, not shower…. Packing the lunch…. He couldn't do that…. It was a picnic after all… putting on his clothes? They were still in the bags, and probably wrinkled now with the price tags still on them…. Brushing his teeth? No. He had learned from an enraged Sakura a long time ago that was a no-no. He was sprinting to every corner of his room, trying to decide what to do first….

"What am I going to do? What am I going to DO?!" he thought collapsing onto his bed exhausted. He covered his eyes and forehead with his hands, rubbing and massaging the tiredness out of his muscles, hoping the right choice would come to him. Lifting his hands, a thought dawned on him, he smiled.

_Of course! No problem for a future Hokage._ He thought as he leapt into the air, creating a t-shape with his index and middle fingers.

"Shadow Clone Technique!"

With a puff, several other Narutos appeared. He zipped out of his clothes into the bathroom. There were two clones cooking and packing the food, one was brushing his teeth for him while he took the shower, and four where ironing his clothes. After he got out, the other clones helped him put on his clothes. It was a blue turtleneck, which was the same shade as his eyes, and white khakis, with a black belt and black shoes. After he put it on he looked over to his forehead protector.

_To put on, or not to put on. That was the question._

He smiled. Of course he would. He was proud to be a Konoha shinobi, and he liked the way it felt on his head. Out the door he went with the basket, skipping as fast as he could from house to house all the way over the Hyuuga estate.

He knocked on the door right when his watch struck noon. The door opened, and Naruto's eyes bulged, and his mouth hung wide open. There was Hinata, in a sky-blue top over a black undertop, a black skirt and black shoes. They put her hair up and it was waved, with several strands hanging down. He was staring hard at her…. _Wow does look pretty. _He drooled. He wondered if the blush she had on was normal, or just one of her usual characteristics. On the other end, Hinata was just as captured by Naruto as he was of her.

_Naruto-kun, you're so handsome. I can't believe this is really happening._

Without noticing it, Naruto's stare didn't let up.

_Why's he looking at me like that? Do I look bad?_

"N….Naruto-kun?"

"Eh?" Realizing how hard he was staring. "Hinata-chan?" he spoke trying to act like his usual self.

"Do… Do I look okay?"

_More than okay. Wow, when she dresses like a lady, she's really, really something._

"Idiot! Answer her!" said a voice from behind Hinata.

"Well, what do you expect? It is Naruto." Said another voice.

Naruto looked away from Hinata for a moment to behind her and sure enough there standing were Ino and Tenten.

"Eh? Ino?! Tenten?!"

"Hi" Ino said striking a pose.

Tenten just smiled and waved.

"Oh, yeah, Naruto here:" With that she holds out a huge bouquet of purple tulips and an assortment or yellow daffodils. "I was supposed to suggest these to you yesterday."

"Suggest?" The blonde ninja was confused.

"Sorry we couldn't help you out yesterday, we were already busy helping someone else out." Tenten said nodding her head to Hinata. Ino goes behind Naruto and hands him the flowers, trying to create an illusion of secrecy.

"But Ino… I can't afford these." He said quietly embarrassed. It was clear he didn't get what Tenten and Ino were saying.

"Idiot! Just take it and give it to Hinata."

"Y…yes!" Naruto stuttered turning militantly towards Hinata. "Here, these are for you."

Hinata just blushed. Who cares that she knew he didn't really buy them, the fact that they were from him now was all that mattered.

"Th… Thank you Naruto-kun."

"Now, Naruto… you picked out a place right?"

"Yes."

"What's this?" Tenten said, noticing the basket he was holding. "A picnic?"

"Tenten-san…" Hinata pleaded quietly.

"Oh right. Have fun you two."

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do Hinata." Ino added as Naruto and Hinata walked away, side-by-side.

Hinata just blushed as they kept walking. All the way to the waterfall, they just exchanged quick glances, blushing a bit when the other one would notice. They made small talk about weather and other things. When they reached the waterfall, they both just stood still. Neither of them had ever been behind the training grounds. Sakura was right. The place was breath taking. The waterfall was this patch of land. Where the water fell over the cliffs, because of the spray of the water, appeared to be made of silver. It poured into a river that was crystal clear, it was as blue as the sky and as calm as the air. The river itself was surrounded by fields of grass, which were the deepest of greens and little pockets of lilies and pink carnations. The trees that hid the waterfall were cherry blossoms. Over by the bank of the river there was a small opening.

"N…Naruto-kun…. Thank you." She said as the wind pushed some of her hair into her face. She removed them with her index finger, and blushed a little as Naruto held out his arm for her to place her arm in.

"Let's go." he said with a big grin.

"Yes." She blushed as she put her arm through his.

When he squeezed it to the side of his body, she almost fainted. It was as warm as she had imagined, and it felt so right, it was the place that arm wanted to be. They walked over to the open area and Naruto set out the blanket and the basket.

"W… What are we having, Naruto-kun? I'm sure you worked on it really hard."

"Heheh" He smiled.

Well, Naruto wasn't very dense when it came to finding a place for a date, but when it came to food, this was all he could think of.

"Ramen Bowls! Now I didn't know which one you would like the most so I brought almost every flavor I had… let's see, there's pork, chicken, beef, roast chicken, fish, shrimp…."

Hinata giggled to herself.

_Ramen on date? How silly. But that's what makes you-you Naruto-kun, and I wouldn't have it any other way._ She thought to herself as he was pulling out and naming the different varieties he had brought.

On the otherside, Sakura arrives at the training grounds. She was supposed to train with Naruto a little while ago, but he wasn't there. The attire she wore would say other wise if any one asked. She wore a red silk vest that had a tail and white fluffy seams, and she wore a pink top and a black skirt that sported a slit. She had her hair styled so it was a little crazy, almost hiding one eye, and a pink flower in her hair. She had on light blue eye shadow that sported green sparkles and she wore her cherry blossom lipstick.

_Why am I wearing this stuff? I'm only here to train with him. If I heard wrong and he didn't think this was a date I'll look so stupid… It probably isn't a date. That Naruto… Still, why am I wearing this stuff then? Where is he? I even showed up fashionably late to make him sweat a little. That baka! He probably woke up late. What did I expect? He never wakes up until after 1. Darn him. I'll get my revenge._

_**Damn right!**_ Shouted Inner-Sakura.

_He doesn't even show up on time for training? _Training of all things was one of the things Naruto liked to do the most. Its only contenders are sleeping, eating Ramen noodles, and reading jutsu scrolls. _I'm here to train. Training, that's all this is. He did say meet here right? Ah! That duffus what if he tried to drop a hint to meet at the waterfall the other day… He is rather clumsy with stuff like that…. But still if I leave and he shows up… he might think I didn't want to come today or forgot. What do I do? Why am I so worried? This is Naruto here. It's not like it's Sasuke or Sai._

As she continued to wait, Naruto and Hinata finished the last bit of their Ramen, as Naruto sips down the last bit of soup.

"AH! That was great!!!" Naruto exclaims.

"It tasted good, Naruto-kun. Thank you." She said, gently placing her bowl down.

"Oh, yeah, yeah, sure sure."

"So yeah, that was basically my training."

"So you learned all those jutsus before you came back? … You must be quite strong now."

"Well actually, I learned the last few on our way back… sometimes Jiraiya skimps on the teaching part…." Naruto said slightly disgruntled. "He can get easily … distracted."

"S… So what does it feel like to be back home?" She asked from the list of questions Ino and Tenten had help her to come up with the night before.

"Wow, Hinata, you sure are talking a lot." Again, his manners were sometimes lacking, to his ignorance.

_Maybe…. I should wait a bit before asking more questions._ She thought sadly. She blushed but out of embarrassment. She turned her head.

"I… I'm sorry." She said sadly.

"Mm? What for?" Finally noticing her change in demeanor.

_What did I say? She is more talkative then usual. How did I hurt her feelings… let's see…._

"It was good to see you again. When I got back home."

Hinata felt herself get a little warm.

"R..Really?"

"Yes. Hinata-chan said she missed me and that made me feel good." He smiled at her, his eyes light up.

She smiled. She was so glad that she made Naruto feel good. She hugged her hands together on her chest. He was smiling, at her no less. And those blue eyes, those blue eyes that were always so full of passion, those eyes she could barely look at without fainting, she could not move away from them.

"I was feeling kinda … sad when I came back and thought no one missed me. At least Sakura-chan didn't."

His eyes emptied and his smile disappeared. He looked down to the ground and then off into the distance as he spoke.

_Sakura-chan…? Naruto… your eyes, just where do they hold me with Sakura-chan?_

"I thought about her almost every day when I trained with Ero-Sennin, working to get stronger, not only for myself, and not only to be Hokage, but also so I could fulfill my promise to her."

Hinata's heart sunk as she listened to how sad Naruto was. It always hurt her to see him like this. This wasn't him, he was always so proud, so strong for others, so when he felt down and defeated. It must have been some powerful force. Only something strong, something so painful could tear down that sparkle of hope he had in his eyes all the time.

_Surely that is not possible that Sakura did not miss Naruto. He's so wonderful, how could anyone not miss him?_

"D.. Did you ask her Naruto-kun?"

"No… but I told her I missed her… She didn't answer back. In fact she asked me why I was saying such strange things." He spoke depressed.

"Naruto-kun… you should ask her outright…. I'm … I'm sure she would say that she did miss you."

"I don't think she would, not after … I'd be surprised if she even cared about me… now…"

_What am I saying? I'm on a date?_ Naruto caught himself.

"But… whatever, you don't want to be bored with all this stuff. I'm fine anyway." He said painfully wearing a smile.

_Naruto-kun truly feels very deeply about her. Sakura-chan... you're lucky. He cares very much about what you think of him._

"Naruto-kun" she said gently. "Pl… please, tell me, why do you think Sakura-chan wouldn't say she missed you anymore."

"It's not the kind of stuff you say on a date, I don't think."

"But… Naruto-kun, even without my Byakuugan I can tell you're hurting about something…. a… and I want to help if I can. Please let me know. "

"Hinata-ch-"

"I… I don't mind. Sometimes speaking about things that hurt our feelings can make it feel better." She said smiling encouragingly.

_Hinata-chan, you're awesome. _Naruto smiled back, noting he was giving in but also that he appreciated her concern.

"When Sasuke left… I made a promise to both Sakura-chan and Sasuke… that I would protect Sakura-chan, protect her from everything, sadness, pain, so that when I did get Sasuke back they could…" He paused, even though everything was letting itself out so freely, whatever words were coming next the thought alone. Naruto just could not get out.

"I've broken my promises to her. Many times now. I promised her I would bring Sasuke back, I gave everything in that fight, everything I had… and I still failed… when I came back, her face… when that door opened… I knew she didn't want to come in… because her Sasuke-kun hadn't returned with me… I couldn't stand seeing her like that, so I promised her that next time, next time I would bring him back… I trained for 2 and a half years with one of the great Sannin. I was so sure that this next time, I would be able to bring him back for sure, and Sakura-chan could be with… the man that she loved, and she would be happy… but when I saw Sasuke again, when he was right next to me, within arms reach… I couldn't do a damn thing, not one single thing, I couldn't even muster up the power to … when he left… all I could think of was how I couldn't save him, how I was still so weak, still so far behind… I had broken my promise to Sakura again…"

"But those things… Sasuke made his own decisions… how can you stop someone-"

"But I should be able to. I should be able to! I have to." He clenched his teeth and his fists. "Not only could I not bring Sasuke back, but I also hurt Sakura-chan…"

Hinata looked at Naruto puzzled. What was he talking about? Noting her confusion… he guessed it was time to tell her.

"Hinata-chan… inside me…"

"I know, Naruto-kun."

"I've seen it with my eyes before… I know that there's something inside you. Something scary…"

He nodded his head.

"The Kyuubi… I can summon it when I need to use its power…but I turn into a monster… a real monster."

_The Kyuubi?_ Thought Hinata, who was horrified as to how someone so gentle could turn into monster.

"We had found Orochimaru… and this was our only chance to find Sasuke. I had to absolutely get Sasuke back for Sakura, it might have been my only chance, if I couldn't get information from Orochimaru, if I couldn't get Sasuke back, Sakura would surely cried… I had to, there was no other option, even if I did have to turn into a monster… so I did… I thought I could control it, but when I was fighting Orochimaru, I blacked out… I don't even remember anything that happened, but when I woke up… she had a huge wound on her left arm… I had tried to hurt her… if Yamato-taichou wasn't there to stop me, I don't know what I would have done to her…" his eyes thickened with despair. His voice was shaking, and tears started to form in his eyes. "And since then I'm sure Sakura's been upset with me… because she's scared of me… because of…this" He said gripping his stomach fiercely. 

_Naruto-kun… I didn't know you had all this bottled up inside you…_

"And now, she must hate me so much for lying to her, and hurting her… she's been acting so strange like she doesn't want to talk to me… like she wants to get things done with and just move on… putting on this weird happy face, to try and hide her pain, the only time she'll meet me is to train… it's like we're not even friends anymore… and that… the thought of her not being in my life… is just-"

He couldn't hold back anymore, even with Hinata there. These tears that came were there for so long, that they just burst like a dam. He was crying now.

Hinata who had never been able to come within ten feet of Naruto found herself drawn to him. He was so vulnerable… so naked to the world. Because he valued his bonds so much he carried the weight of so many on his shoulder… especially Sakura's. He cared so deeply for her that he broke himself into two people just to make her happy. Did she know this?

_Naruto-kun… please, let this be enough…_

"Naruto-kun…"

Hinata placed her arms around him tightly, and held on with all of her might, hoping that she could release some of the weight that seemed to be suffocating him. He cried uncontrollably for 5 minutes… When it ended.

"Thank you, Hinata-chan…" He said apologetically.

"Naruto-kun, you don't have to worry. I'm happy I could help you a little."

"You're a great friend."

_Friend…?_ She was sad, but she had known, since he started talking, that there was no place for her in his heart, because it was full of thoughts and wishes for another person.

"Naruto-kun…"

"Hm?"

"How do you feel about Sakura-chan?"

_How do I feel about her? … I've never sat down and thought about it… in words… That's right… we're on a date… I'm such a jerk._

"Hinata…"

She sat attentive, watching his every physical movement for signs. Was he going to lie to her?

"Please tell me." She pleaded.

_My feelings?_

He thought about every single moment he spent with the pink haired kunoichi, every roll of her eye, every vein that appeared on her big forehead, every punch… being with her, through pain, through happiness… he wouldn't trade those precious moments for anything, even the pain ones. Then it appeared in his mind, that smile, the one Sakura made when she was truly happy… He looked up into the sky and after a moment he smiled…

"I love her." He said, almost sadly.

Hinata's smiled politely, her face lowered, but she wasn't surprised at all. She was sad, but now she knew for sure.

"With every beating moment of my heart."

She could no longer do anything for him as a girlfriend. She had always known this was going to be the case, but now she was glad she tried, but now she could do something for him as a friend.

"Have you told her Naruto-kun?"

He knew where she was going with this, but he just couldn't tell Sakura.

"She's in love with Sasuke." He replied very matter-of-factly. "It's not my place."

"Naruto-kun, hearing your words. I can tell that you love her very much. So much that you would put yourself through all that pain just to make her smile, even for a second. I think you deserve the right to know how she feels about you, whether she loves you or not."

_But if she says 'no' then I could lose her as a friend too._

"… I'm not Sasuke… If I was even half of what Sasuke is, I'd maybe think about trying but... me… I'm nothing but a weak loud mouth."

_Naruto-kun, I didn't know that in your heart you felt these ways. You're always so sure, so confident. How can you doubt yourself?_

"Naruto-kun, you are a very special person! You give so many people hope. You're strong. You're so strong, that when I'm down I think of you and feel stronger." She said, her heart almost bursting out of her chest.

"Hinata-chan…." He said amazed at her feelings towards him. "Heh, when did you become this strong?"

Hinata face went flush, realizing how loud she had just been.

"I… I learned it from you, Naruto-kun."

"I guess I must be pretty loud too then, huh?" He said jokingly, scratching the back of his head.

"You… you are." Joking back.

"Hey, hey! That wasn't very nice?" He said mocking sadness.

They both chuckled.

_I love your laugh Naruto-kun, please don't ever lose it._

Sakura was marching towards the falls angrily when she could hear the sounds of their laughter.

_That laugh…_ She recognized the low raspy quick chuckle as Naruto's. _But who's that other voice belong to?_

She walked on and froze when she discovered Naruto sitting on a blanket with Hinata. Her heart sunk.

_He… he's on a date with Hinata?... Good!… right? … RIGHT?! … Of course. … Stupid me…. Stupid, stupid… what were you thinking? A date with Naruto. It's laughable…_ She smiled for herself but it was empty and not even half way a smile. _Stupid Naruto, it's his fault… he made me think… _Her eyes were locked on Naruto and Hinata. _Heh, yeah right, me and Naruto. _Suddenly overhead a bird messenger bird chirped, Sakura recognized it as one of Tsunade's errand birds. Naruto and Hinata noticed it too. Something white dropped from underneath the bird onto Naruto.

"HEY! Bird, this better not be what I think it is! This is a new outfit!"

"N… Naruto-kun…" Hinata said embarrassed.

Naruto observed the white item, and it turned out to be a note.

"A note from Tsunade-baa-chan… I have a solo mission. I'm to report to her office in ten minutes. Guh… it's probably going to be some lame, D-rank genin mission."

Naruto wraps the note back up and looks at Hinata apologetically.

"It's ok. You should go. I'll clean up here."

"Thank you, Hinata-chan."

He started to run off, but when he looked back she looked so sad. Something felt wrong.

_Hinata-chan. Did I forget to do something?... Hinata-chan, I'm sorry…_

He ran back.

"Hinata-chan, you're always thinking of me, huh?" He said gently. "Thank you."

He puckered his lips and started for Hinata's forehead. When Hinata realized this she froze, like a deer in the headlights.

_He's gonna kiss me!!!! This is it!!!!!!!_ _I'm gonna faint…_

Everything was in slow motion for her. The anticipation of Naruto's warm lips on her anything was almost too much. If she had as much guts as her wants she would've moved her forehead right to his lips, forget forehead, if she was as bold as she wanted to be, it would be lip action right now. But she couldn't because of her legs, they were complete and utter putty, useless for motion. The only thing that seemed to hold its shape was her forehead, because that was where he was going to kiss her.

**Get ready for Meltdown, please! Get ready for Meltdown, please!** A bunch of inner Hinata's were running around crazily in her mind.

This was it, she was seconds away from receiving the first kiss ever from the one boy she admire above others, she closed her eyes and ----

**"NAAAA-RUTO, YOU PERVERT!!!!!!!!"**

**KKKKKKKKKKUNG!!!!!**

A quick high pitched "Ah" was all she heard from Naruto as Hinata opened her eyes to see the blonde shinobi was skidding across the river and into the bushes across from her. Looking to her left was Sakura, her right arm fully extended, she was breathing heavily like a bull that had just ran in a stampede.

"Stupid Naruto, doing such dirty things in front of me." She clapped her hands together as if they were dusty. "Hinata-san, are you okay?" she feigned looking at Hinata. Instead of the blushing quiet, and always polite girl she was expecting she turned her gaze to a very very upset Hinata looking at her sternly.

"Hinata-san, what's wrong?"

"Sakura…" Hinata had dropped the suffix of –chan, meaning very very obviously she had just done something wrong.

_Oh man… why did I do that? Why did you do that Sakura?_

"That Naruto, he was going to do something perverted to Hinata-chan. Good thing I made it in time." She spoke convincing neither herself nor Hinata.

"Sakura, how do you feel about Naruto?" Hinata said, straight to the point, not moving a single muscle.

Who was this girl, Sakura thought as she stood there. She felt Hinata staring right through her even though she wasn't using her Byakuugan.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you like Naruto-kun?"

Sakura tried to drown out her words, but they were much louder than Yamato-taichou's, much more precise.

_Not her too? Why does everyone think I like Naruto? I'm in love with Sasuke-kun._

"Like Naruto?" She said trying to pass off a laugh afterwards. "No I don't like him. He's loud and clumsy, and annoying, and smelly, Hinata-chan, there are days when he wakes up late and doesn't brush his teeth…"

She stopped her self, the more bad things she listed off about Naruto, the more Hinata looked angry.

"Sakura, you shouldn't say such bad things about him. Do you know how he feels about you?"

_How he feels … about me?_

"He likes you Sakura… a lot."

"Well, that's nice." She said trying to dawn the re-directing smile. "We're on the same team an-"

"No, Sakura. He really likes you. That's why I want to know how you feel."

"I… he's…. he's a good friend, that's all. I'm in love with Sasuke-kun, nobody else. Naruto and I are just friends."

Hinata lowered her eyes…

_Poor Naruto… so she doesn't return his feelings… how sad we all are. Sakura you love a man who doesn't love you, as do I, and Naruto loves you but you don't love him back…_

"Even if you just thought of Naruto as a friend, why do you say such things about him?" Hinata asked sternly. "He may not be perfect, but he tries, Sakura, He tries so hard. Even when no one else believes in him. Even when he himself is not happy, Naruto-kun tries to give everyone hope even when he has none left, because that's the type of person Naruto-kun is. You of all people should know that, Sakura. He tries the hardest for you."

She gripped her hands tight, as she turned away from Hinata, hoping it would help her drown out Hinata's voice.

"I understand how touchy a point Sasuke is to you right now, but I don't care. But he's not here. He left, and he chose to leave. Would a man who loved you in return choose a life without you anywhere near him? No! But who's here? Who was here for you when he left? Naruto was. And yet you don't see him. All the way back to when we were kids, you never acknowledged Naruto's existence, accept for when he did annoying things."

_Hinata…_

"Naruto… he almost died on that mission, to get your Sasuke-kun back… Even though he might have had a better chance with you if Sasuke wasn't here, … but he never once thought of betraying Sasuke or his promise to you. He… he… he… cares for you very… very deeply Sakura…"

Hinata was crying now, Sakura could tell by the sniffs in between every word now.

_Hinata…_stop….

"And yes… he… … he…loves you…So then why as even just his friend do you say those things about him?"

_Because I hate the fact that-_

"Love me?..." Sakura laughed. "Why would he love me?" The pink haired kunoichi lowered her head.

_I'm broken._

Sakura's pain was now very apparent to Hinata who realized the pink kunoichi had been struggling to figure her own feelings out.

"Sakura-san…."

Sakura was in pain, so much that she felt the very earth she stood on give way to the heaviness that was knowing sapping her dry. She was hurting so much, she was confused, and she didn't know what was wrong with her, why did she hit Naruto? Didn't she still care about Sasuke? What was going on with her? Why couldn't she decide? The pain balled up and twisted and gnawed and shrieked inside her chest and the pain as pain often does, it sought out the first line of emotional defense: anger. She shook and tensed and wanted to scream at the top of her longs, but before she could say anything that would damage her friendship with Hinata, she bowed and left.

"I'm sorry I ruined your date, Hinata." She spoke sadly as she walked as far as her legs could take her, to what destination, she didn't care, she only knew she would keep walking as long as her body held up or until her pain went away, the later of which she was sure would not happen any time soon. All Hinata could do was watch quietly as Sakura quietly walked away.

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Naruto and all characters within the story are copyright of Masashi Kishimoto.


	8. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7: LOVE LOST**

[This happens after the Manga Chapter 371 and disreguards other chapters afterwards, because I wrote this before 372 came out.

It was week and a couple days after the events of Naruto and Hinata's date, they had defeated the Akatsuki Kakuzu, and Tsunade had just informed them of Sasuke's killing of Orochimaru, and they decided the best way to find Sasuke again was to find Itachi. They would find him and bring him in for questioning about Akatsuki, which in turn would lead Sasuke back to Konoha. Kurenai's team was assigned as team 7's partner group, with Yamato at team 8's lead. Naruto using his shadow clones, originally to find Itachi, had instead found the dark haired ninja, Sasuke. They proceeded to that area only to find Sasuke had already left, their trail went dead again because of the rain. It was nightfall now, and despite Naruto's protests, they had to stop and rest. He was over by a tree hanging up their food to keep the bears away from it. While everyone was setting up camp, storm clouds had started brewing again in the sky, and an ominous feeling fell over Naruto. A feeling of death…. Of death lurking around the corner… The last few times he ran into Sasuke, he almost died, the first time Sasuke merely spared his life and even then that was on a whim of Sasuke's, but the second time the person he held as close to his heart as a brother, didn't seem to give a second thought to taking his life, if he ran into him again Sasuke was surely going to kill him even if his friends were there, were any of them strong enough to stop him still? The air itself suddenly felt heavy to Naruto's lungs. It lasted a mere moments before his smile that protected everyone, including himself appeared on his face.

_I'm not going to die. I have to become Hokage first. This stupid feeling is nothing. But what if… I did die_…?

He looked over to the camp, at all his friends that he now had. Even though he truly did, he had never shown or told anyone how much he appreciated them all for being important people in his life. As his eyes circled the group, thinking of the fun times he had with each member, they soon focused on one person. She had cherry-blossom hair, emerald green eyes, and the most beautiful smile, one that could melt any man.

_Sakura-chan… if I died… I would regret not telling her…_

Sakura noticed him looking at her… He quickly turned his gaze away. Since her talk with Hinata, she kept her conversations with Naruto short. She was still so confused and angry, but she knew she couldn't take it out on him, but when news broke that Sasuke was free of Orochimaru those feelings only intensified, and she wanted to keep hidden from Naruto, and herself. She got up and walked off through a path in between some trees.

_This is it._

Naruto's uncertainty snapped into determination. He decided that all his life his motto was to change things with your own hands and your own strength, and if people like Hinata were already depending on him, he had to keep getting stronger, and stop being a coward.

As Sakura walked there were only patches of moonlight shooting through the clouds that guided her way; if it had not been for her ninja training, or the red glow of the fire, then for sure Sakura would have hit a tree or two along the way. After a couple of steps she stopped. _I should be far enough away from Naruto._ She thought. The moon struck her eyes and the bit that over spilled onto her skin only made her skin look more milky and fair. She made sure not to get far from the group, the danger was too great that she could run into Akatsuki, and she didn't want to face them alone, and there was even greater chance that she might run into Sasuke's group, and after her last meeting with Sasuke, she was unsure of the level of safety with him.

"Umusah, Sakura-chan?" Came a voice in the dark.

"AH!"

A Shadow dropped down from a tree in front of her, into a pool of moonlight.

"It's me." Said Naruto.

"Idiot, don't sneak up on a person in the dark! Hmph!"

Naruto, looked very serious. He was unmoving. The only motion about him right now was the occasional breeze that ruffled his figure every so slightly.

"Why are you standing there all serious for, Naruto?"

For a moment he slightest smile broke across his face, but it was replaced by a look of determination.

"Neh, Sakura-chan" he said brightly. Can I talk to you for a minute?"

At seeing this, her resolve to stay hidden from Naruto started to waver. The next few words that came out of his mouth could change them forever.

_What's he going to do?_

"I need to go get ready for bed." She said coldly hoping that would keep him away or change his mind.

"Sakura-chan, we've known each other for a very long time now, and I know that I haven't always been the most … um… I know I've been annoying at times… "

_Crap… I should've thought of something to say first…_ Naruto thought.

"I always bugged you and joked about going on a date and…"

"Naruto, I'm tired, I'm gonna go to bed early."

She started walking back.

"Sakura-chan I'm not done."

"What is it?" she said annoyed now.

_Something smart, something smart._

"… The moon is pretty isn't it?"

"Yes it is." She said, antsy to get back to camp.

"Wait..."

"Is it going to be important?"

"Yes… very." He said honestly. He looked at her, waiting for some answer as to whether or not she would stay.

She sighed nervously and looked away, crossing her arms.

"Sakura-chan… you and I…. me and you… er….. we…"

She couldn't take it, if she heard him confess, things would change, and they would change forever. She wasn't going to hear any of it.

_It's not working… just say it._ Thought Naruto desperately searching for words, that would even begin to display his feelings.

_He is going to confess. What should I do? What should I do? Do I love Sasuke… or Naruto? Who do I love? damn it… I don't know. Naruto always seems to be thinking of others… about me… Sasuke… he…. He… No… I love Sasuke, I do… Naruto… But if he tells me… I don't know what to do._

"I know I'm not Sasuke, but…"

_Naruto… _His words saddened her… But she had to keep up her heart, _Sasuke-kun…. I'm in love with him right?_

"The truth is…"

"NO!" she said covering her ears.

Naruto was confused…

"Sakura-chan, I-"

"NO, DON'T!"

Naruto stopped dead mid-sentence.

"Naruto...!"

_Sasuke-kun…. I have to love him, he's all I've known since I joined team 7….right? He's the reason I trained harshly every day under Tsunada-sama. I love him… not this…. loud-mouthed… clumsy…..I'm so sick and tired of everyone thinking that there's something that is going on between us!_ In the passion of her confusion and anger she didn't know this also meant herself… and that rage which had built up while speaking with Hinata the other day, had festered again, and now was ready to be released and it would now be unleashed on Naruto.

"Naruto… I won't ever now, or will I ever in the future go out with you. Do you understand!? How many times are you going to ask me out before you get it through that stubborn head of yours that nothing is ever going to exist between the two of us! I love Sasuke!… Sasuke-kun! Let me make this clear for you and anyone else who doubts it... I! CAN'T! LOVE! YOU!" She shouted at the top of her lungs… her voice echoed throughout the night….

_Can't? That's not what she had agreed to say in her mind… _

A sudden rustle near by caused her to turn. It was Hinata, she had heard everything, not only did she hear everything but so did everyone else.

_What did I do?_ She thought looking back at Naruto whose face was destroyed. His blue eyes seemed to turn grey and his mouth just bunched together. He was biting his lips trying to keep them from quivering. He didn't even look at her eyes. Naruto just stood quietly. He didn't know what to say. He had just been yelled at for no reason… he just got yelled at for loving her… She didn't even let him say it… And again, instead of just crying, his pride wouldn't let him, his breathing became stifled. His heart had been ripped to shreds… there was nothing left. And there in his pain and confusion… as Sakura did, he found rage… rage against the world for no reason… and deep down in the depths of his consciousness, in the darkness, an eye opens once again, and as the darkness illuminates to reveal a cage, a seal on the lock tares. Naruto couldn't stay there any longer, everyone was looking, and he couldn't bear to see Sakura anymore, it was just too painful.

_Sasuke…_

_**HM? THIS FEELING… I LIKE IT…**_ bellowed the monster fox…. Yawning as it awakened from Yamato and Sasuke's hold inside Naruto's body.

"Naruto-kun…" Hinata started, unable to finish.

Everyone else was speechless… they didn't know what to say either. But all their eyes fell onto Naruto as this ninja who was always so talkative stood absolutely still, saying nothing.

Naruto clenched his fists, and fought with every fiber in his body to not cry.

_How could I say that to Naruto? Say something damn it! Anything… look at him… he's in so much pain… go, GO! Body!_ She screamed at herself. Nothing came out of her mouth, only consonants and quick little breaths.

_Don't cry… don't cry… don't cry_ Naruto repeated desperately in his mind.

_**HA HA HA, **_ the demon fox laughed mockingly. _**LOOK AT HER… SHE DOES NOT WANT YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE WEAK. **_

His eyes snapped to Sakura. He looked at her for an answer to his pain… his eyes wanted to retreat into themselves, and with each passing moment he only hurt more and more, the pain compounding and multiplying, until he had only that one coherent thought.

_Don't cry…_

_**I TOLD YOU YOU WERE WEAK, YOU LOSE EVERYONE CLOSE TO YOU BECAUSE YOU LACK POWER. NARUTO… LET ME OUT, LET ME OUT AND WE CAN END YOUR PAIN TOGETHER…**_

_Don't cry…_

Naruto tried to ignore the fox but it knew his feelings all to well, it wanted out and it knew which buttons to push now. Every word it spoke was like salt to a gapping wound. The air started to thin, it felt heavier, and it was harder to get into his lungs. His lungs seemed to get smaller and smaller and his heart was gasping for breath, almost like instead of taking in air he was drowning under water… He started to hyperventilate… Tears were leaking from his eyes. He grabbed at his heart squeezing and pushing down on his chest as if trying to prevent his heart from bursting out.

_Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry, DON'T CRY DAMN YOU!_

Akamaru who was also concerned a moment ago starts barking, as the air around them heats up.

"What's wrong Akamaru?"

The small rocks and debris from around them lifts off the ground into the air as if escaping the soon to come terror. The Earth shakes. Naruto continues to hold onto his chest, each breath draining his sanity, his heart was getting away from him.

"What's happening?" Asked a surprised Kiba.

"This is bad. Yamato!" Kakashi said.

"On it." Who was already making the seal to contain Naruto.

"Sai, Hinata, protect Sakura. Kiba, Shino, cover Yamato and myself."

Sakura was in horror as standing before them, glowing brighter than the moon, stood Naruto, now transformed into his Kyuubi form.

Naruto looked into her eyes, again it was like that first time he transformed in front of her…

_She's afraid of me again…of what I can do to her…_

_**YES, IT'S BECAUSE NOW YOU HAVE POWER. THE POWER OF FEAR. FEAR EARNS RESPECT.**_

_But this power, right now, doesn't make her care about me the way I want her to… I don't make her happy… it's not right, she doesn't want me… she wants him… I'm a fool…_

Suddenly, the earth was still.

"If Sasuke-kun is very important to Sakura-chan…" He said dawning a cold stare, trying to force every emotion running through his vein down back into a black hole somewhere in his body. "I will find him for you."

This shocked every one. Even though he was transformed he had remained calm.

_Naruto… _

He turned around readying himself for a jump.

_…you just tried to tell me something very important…that you loved me… and I… Naruto you just wanted to know… I…_

"Naruto…" finally she was able to say something.

_I'm… _

Just then Yamato's wooden binds came bursting out of the ground, as Kakashi leapt to put a seal on Naruto, and Kiba and Shino threw kurenais attached to shinobi string at him, and Hinata and Sai jumped to get between her and Naruto. It all seemed to happen in slow motion for her… Kakashi was telling her to do something, but she couldn't hear his words… she only saw that Naruto had once again… became a monster because of her. Despite what she had just said, despite her cruel words, her misplaced anger… he once again suffered for her, and that was not something she wanted.

_I…_

The split second before everyone ended their range of motion, Sakura saw Naruto look back at her, and smile, just before he blazed through the trees and away from the group. Within seconds he was already too far away for even his chakra's glow to be seen. As he disappeared she could only think of one thing…

_I –_

"Come back!!!!!!!!!" She screamed.

"We have to get him back before he does something foolish." Kakashi leapt to the front looking back at Sakura. The look he gave her was not the same as the one he used to give her when she was younger to make her think everything would be okay. The thoughts behind the look didn't need to be said at all because she already thought it: _Sakura, you foolish girl._

"Kiba, Sai, Hinata," I need you to come with me. "Yamato, please stay back here and attend to things. Catch up when you're ready to."

"Yes, sempai."

With that the silver haired ninja takes off with his squad after Naruto.

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Naruto and all characters within the story are copyright of Masashi Kishimoto.


	9. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8: THE LOSS**

The storm has come full force now as lightning flashes across the sky. Amongst the vast green of the forest, through the blur of the heavy rainfall, a small black figure bounds from one area to another. Three hours later, Naruto is no longer in fully transformed mode, but still exhibiting signs of the kyuubi as he has sharp teeth and red pupils.

_I've searched this long and I still haven't found anything… Sakura-chan…_ He remembered back to those painful words he had just heard earlier. "_I love Sasuke… I! CAN'T! LOVE! YOU!"_

_I must find hi-_

Just then a blue beam shoots across right in front of him. He manages to dodge just before he collides with it.

"Naruto-'kun'." Spoke a cold voice mockingly.

_That voice…_

The blue beam retracts into a shadowy area of the dark forest, Naruto following it with his eyes. In the darkness he can see two crimson eyes. Lightning flashes revealing a spiky-haired figure approaching Naruto.

"Sasuke-kun! I heard you defeated Orochimaru!" Naruto asked happily.

"Kun? How dare you use that in reference to me? You mock me. Hm! How long have you known, Naruto? How long?!"

Naruto had no idea what Sasuke was talking about… Something was wrong.

"Sasuke…"

As he approached, Naruto could clearly see Sasuke's face, he had bags under his eyes that were red… as if he had been crying for a long time.

"My brother is dead because of you. You who pretends to be my friend… you are nothing but that monster! And today I Uchiha Sasuke, will avenge my clan and my family! I'm going to Kill You!" Sasuke screamed as the roar of thunder ripped through the air. Sasuke reaches out his right hand as a lightning bolt pierces the sky. Sasuke catches it in his palm. It bounces around violently in his palm, shrieking and chirping as if a flock of birds.

"Sasuke… I don't know what you're talking about."

"Liar!"

As lightning continues to flash violently in the sky a blue blade slices out of the ground, as Naruto barely dodges the attack.

Something was wrong with his friend and he didn't know what it was. It almost sounded as if Sasuke was blaming him for the death of his clan.

Before he has another second to think a blur appears behind him reforming to reveal Sasuke. His eyes full of fire. It was clear this time, he fully intended to kill Naruto.

Lightning flashes again as Sasuke's left arm is now holding the Chidori.

_Shit!_

Naruto thinking quickly creates a shadow clone, who moves him out of the way of the Chidori. It hits the clone, causing it to dispel and blow up in a cloud of smoke, allowing Naruto time to get his bearings. As Sasuke descends he notices two shadows behind him.

"Rasengan!"

"Chidori Nagashi!!" screams Sasuke as his body sparkles with lightning, hitting the two clones and getting rid of the Rasengan.

"Crap!" Naruto said.

Before he could think Sasuke was to his right side already. Sasuke made to stab Naruto with his lightning blade, Kusanagi.

"HA!"

Lightning flashed violently with the impact. Naruto had caught Sasuke's sword with his hands channeling wind chakra through his fingers. Sasuke ever intent on killing him continued to shake and pull and press at his sword trying to force it into the killing blow.

"Sasuke… those eyes… I don't understand… you've never looked at me that way before… what's wrong with you? Even at Orochimaru's-"

"These eyes now see the monster you are. All these years I thought it was Itachi… but he was just a victim… a victim like me, of Konoha, and it's bloodthirsty fox demon pet. AH!" He pushed on his blade even harder.

"Sasuke… I don't know what you're talking about."

"You always spoke of bonds… as if we were brothers… were you laughing at me the whole time?! Huh?! Weren't you?"

Naruto's hands started to feel the numbing burn of Sasuke's blade. Naruto's wind grip was fading… he had never done anything like it before, he had only learnt to control wind chakra a week and a half ago.

"I do consider you my brother!"

"You bastard!"

A red glow shone from Sasuke's left shoulder as little red dots made it's way across his body.

"You killed my family, and Konoha poisoned everyone's minds against Itachi, because he found out about the corruption of the village. He learned that the village let you lose to find out how strong you could be. Did it just so happen that the first place you were sent was Uchiha village?"

Naruto's eyes opened wide…

"No… that can't be true….."

"You're a murderer! You lying son of a bitch!"

Blood trickled to the ground as Sasuke's transformed strength causes the blade to start sinking into Naruto's hands.

_It can't be true… did I? Did I kill his family? _When he was younger, Naruto would have doubted these accusations against the village right away, but as he grew up he learned many disturbing things about the wars of shinobis and the lengths to which ninja countries would go to improve, even sacrificing their own… and Konoha was no innocent in that regard either… Neiji's curse and his father's death was a prime example… _What if I did kill them?_ What if they erased my memory too? He was losing the battle against Sasuke… _Maybe I deserve this… maybe I should die…_ He was ready to release his grip on the sword and allow Sasuke to finish him…Then he remembered something. The image of Sakura-chan cryng…_ I still have to bring Sasuke back to her… I still have to become Hokage… _but that wasn't as important as … _I want to see her again! Demon fox, come on here!_

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!" Naruto screamed.

The winds around them picked up violently as Naruto started to glow red.

"Same old tricks. This is were you end monster." He said trying to focus his sharingan on Naruto, but to his surprise… Naruto's eyes were closed.

Lightning around Naruto and Sasuke bended. Sasuke's blade was shaking now. They both pushed at each other, each time one gained ground the other came right back. The pool of water they were in lifted right off the ground. And just when it seemed like neither would give in.

**CCCCCCCCRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAARCK!** Sasuke's blade shatters into several smaller pieces one piece slashing Sasuke's chest, causing a huge cut across.

The weather went back to normal, both shinobi fell to their knees.

"Wind chakra…." Sasuke noted, "so you can teach a dog some new tricks, even one as pathetic as you."

"Sasuke… I don't know if what you said is true or not… but I do know one thing… I have to bring you back to Sakura."

"Sakura?"

"She's waiting for you Sasuke… she always has been."

"And what do I care for a Konoha dog?"

_Dog?_

"Sasuke you can talk all you want about me, but don't you dare speak badly of her."

"OH? Does the beast have feelings? What a fucking joke. Why not shrug them away as you must have shrugged away your guilt at killing my father and mother."

"I can't remember that. But if it is true… You can have your revenge on me after I return you to Sakura-chan."

"I'll have my revenge now!" He declared getting up. He took off his shirt as his body flickered red again, like a flame, the same as the one that consumed his soul all his life. He sprouted wings.

"Sasuke-kun!" a voice called from atop one of the trees.

Naruto looked up, to see a figure with a strange mask that had an orange swirl on it.

"Your body is no good to me beat up… and that form will only make it look worse."

_'His body?' _Naruto thought horrified at the notion of who the masked person could be. _Is that…? Orochimaru?_

"My name, is Uchiha Madara."

_Uchiha Madara? Where do I remember that name from? … that time Sasuke sealed the Kyuubi back up._

_**'EYES WITH SUCH POWER AND CHAKRA EVEN MORE SINISTER THAN MY OWN… NOT UNLIKE I ONCE SAW IN A CERTAIN UCHIHA MADARA.' (K)**_

"It's nice to see you again… Kyuubi." The masked figure said almost sounding like he was smiling. "Soon, you will return to your rightful owner."

The red chakra that had started leaking now seemed to be pouring out even faster, as if angry.

_**KILL HIM NARUTO! KILL HIM! WE HAVE TO! OR ELSE WE WILL PERISH! **_Screamed the fox who almost seemed terrified…

_Rightful owners?_ _What does he mean by that, fox? You know something, damn it._

_**WE WERE CREATED FROM THE FIRES OF THE UCHIHAS… ONLY BY SEALING US AWAY, CAN MADARA TRULY GAIN THE FULL POTENTIAL OF THE SHARINGAN.**_

_The true power…_

"Remember, don't kill him yet, Sasuke-kun." Madara ordered.

"Yes master."

"Master? The Sasuke I knew would never have become a servant to anyone."

"Still pretending like you know me?"

"Hey, Madala! Whoever the hell you are. I don't know what you did to Sasuke… but you better give him back."

"What I did? I opened his eyes to the truth, as I opened his brother's, who was shunned for abandoning Konoha after he found out how corrupt a ninja village Konoha was."

"Enough words monster. Now your trail of blood ends."

"Sasuke…" He said sighing. "Fine… I can see words will no longer reach you. You truly are lost. This time I will break your bones." Naruto was going to fight for real now… he struck a fighting pose. He was releasing his second tail.

_**YOU HAVE TO LET ME OUT, I NEED TO BE AT FULL POWER TO DEFEAT MADARA! NOW! DO IT NOW!**_

_No way, if I let you out I'll die anyway. We're doing this together whether you like it or not._

Naruto, eyed both Madara and Sasuke making sure neither attempted anything yet, but he also made sure to avoid their eyes. His eyes finally came back to rest on Sasuke.

_**FOOL KILL MADARA FIRST!**_

_We have to fight Sasuke first._

_**IF YOU FIGHT SASUKE FIRST WE'LL HAVE LESS CHAKRA TO FIGHT MADARA!**_

_By the looks of it, and the sound of it, Madara is stronger than Sasuke… but then if we fight him first, we'll be completely out of Chakra…_

_**WHO POSES MORE OF A THREAT?**_

_Exactly!_

"Pray all you want monster, there is no salvation for you." Sasuke taunts readying himself for an attack.

A lightning bolt crashes between the two shinobis on the ground as they leap at each other. As Naruto neared Sasuke, his chakra instead attacked Madara, who easily leapt out of the way. The Chakra was still connected to Naruto through his feet but that was it… but now the problem was that Naruto was completely exposed.

_**FOOL!**_

_JERK!_

"I'm just a spectator, you're as naughty as always, Kyuubi." Madara said toying with the Bijuu.

Sasuke tries to grab onto Naruto who manages to get a grip on his wrists and control them. Sasuke just smiles.

_I know what's coming next._

Naruto quickly lets go of his hands arching his body backward doing a flip but following with his leg trying to land a flip kick. Sasuke manages to use his wings to float back out of the way, but is surprised when he is still hit hard by a gust of wind. Sasuke in retaliation unleashes a lightning storm from his wings.

"Shadow clone jutsu!"

Naruto creates several versions of himself to block himself, but as he does, the Kyuubi chakra, charging after Madara, unintentionally pulls him past the clones. Naruto is exposed and hit by the Chidori storm.

"AAGHHHH!"

He falls scorched on the ground.

"Damn fox!" Naruto says.

"What's wrong Kyuubi-san?" Madara mocks. "Not so strong by yourself are you?"

Naruto's chakra roars out lashing out at Madara, knocking down several trees. Madara just jumps out of the way again. The chakra is desperate to get to the Sharingan master. Naruto just gets up onto his hands when the chakra suddenly drags him across the forest.

_Damn fox! Listen, if we don't work together, we will both die for sure._

_**I MUST KILL HIM! HE MUST NOT SEAL ME AWAY!**_

The Kyuubi was too worked up, it didn't listen, it's a good thing they were slightly separated or Naruto may already be dead.

As Naruto got onto his feet, Sasuke came flying from behind tackling him through several trees and finally throwing him into a boulder.

"Damn it!... I wish Kakashi-sensei or Ero-Sennin were here." He said.

"Shadow Clone jutsu!"

He created several versions of himself, but as soon as they appeared the Kyuubi Chakra, which being led by Madara, hit them and they were dispelled upon impact.

Sasuke activates his Chidori and is now diving at Naruto.

_I'm getting nowhere like this fast._

Naruto jumped behind a lightning bolt, hoping it would cover him, but Sasuke's Chidori cut clean through the bolt, he barely dodge as it slashed across his jacket.

"A Raikiri?"

"You're not the only one who learned new tricks, demon." Sasuke proclaimed continuing to slice after Naruto, each time Naruto barely dodging, and Sasuke continuing to cut through more bolts of lightning.

_Enough of this._ Naruto summoned the beast back into his cage, while using it's fleeting power with his wind chakra, extending his hand and firing a strong gust of wind blowing past Sasuke forcing him into defensive mode, and buying Naruto a little time.

"Oh? The boy has such control of his Bijuu… it was indeed a good idea to have him watched over in Konoha… with those other two in his team." Madara spoke, as if admiring his own work.

Naruto charged forth at Sasuke, using the finishing kick from his Naruto-rendan to try and ground Sasuke, but Sasuke sees it coming and blocks. Sasuke follows the block with a swift sidekick to Naruto's chin. Naruto goes flying into the air. Sasuke does a forward tuck flip and tackles Naruto, grabbing hold to his ankles and sidewalk slamming him into the ground. As they land Naruto gets enough bearings to kick Sasuke over him as he continues rolling onto his feet. Sasuke using his wings lands majestically.

_This is no good _thought Naruto. As good as Naruto had gotten at Taijutstu he still just wasn't fast enough to stand toe to toe with Sasuke.

_I can't try to out-speed him, I have to out-think him somehow…_

"This is it." Naruto declared.

_I have to knock Sasuke out, so that I can preserve chakra for when I face Madara._

"No time!" Sasuke cried creating seals. When he finished his arms sparkled with electricity. He waved his arms and snakes sprung forth at Naruto, binding and singeing him entirely.

"Crap!" was the last thing he could say as three serpents bit down on his neck. He struggled for only a few seconds and then his eyes closed and he slipped away.

"Hm…" Sasuke smirked. "It's done." He let out a grunt as he walked away. "He's all yours my master."

"Don't let your guard down!"

"PIT OF THE UNDERWORLD!"

The dirt and grass underneath Sasuke's feet began to melt and become soggy. Before he could take to the air he began to sink.

"Genjutsu?..." Sasuke remarked surprisingly. "No… I would see it if it was."

He was up to his knees now.

"Sasuke!" From the shadows of the nearby tree Naruto came spinning horizontally, extending his right foot to kick Sasuke, only to kick completely through Sasuke, as if through air.

"Huh? A buushin?" Naruto exclaimed as he landed.

"Pathetic animal. You play this childish game on me when I have these eyes?"

Naruto was the one sinking into the pit.

"Your luck has run out idiot!" Sasuke said.

Sasuke pulls out his kurenai and charges it with his Raikiri plunging it into Naruto's legs.

"AH!!!!!"

Naruto's entire body froze as Sasuke twisted the kurenai. Smiling, Sasuke seemed to relish in Naruto's pain.

"AAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!"

"Lights out, Sasuke." Naruto's face turned from pain to a smile.

The clone dispelled but instead of letting off a puff of smoke it released a gale forced wind. Caught completely off guard Sasuke was thrown into the air through several trees before his wings caught a gust of wind and stopped him, but before he could relax –

"Rasengan!" Two other Narutos appeared right behind him.

!!! Sasuke couldn't believe it, he was caught completely off-guard by Naruto. Twice.

"Shit!"

All Sasuke could do was pivot his exposed back, and pull up his right wing to take on the brunt of the force as Naruto connected, tearing through the wing and reaching Sasuke. Even with his wing taking on the first part of the Rasengan the force afterwards sent Sasuke flying through a portion of the forest.

"Oh?" Madara stated, feigning surprise,

As Naruto landed he turned to look up at where Madara was standing.

_That bastard, it's all his fault._

He clenched his teeth as he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Below Madara was Naruto with two other clones. Between the three of them was a bright blue and white glow, that was swirling in the palm of Naruto's hand screeching as it twisted.

"So this is the technique you used to defeat Kakuzu… interesting, you are interesting Kyuubi."

"My name is Naruto!"

"KATON! GOUKAKYUU NO JUTSU!" Came a voice from behind him.

As Naruto turned around his eyes widened with horror as a giant ball of flame came right at him. His two clones jumped in front of him and disappeared in a cloud of smoke, but that didn't slow it down, the ball of flame continued on towards Naruto, who was holding his wind rasengan.

_Crap this is bad, I have to dispel my Rasengan!_

But it was too late. As soon as Sasuke's jutsu met Naruto's it exploded, and the fire which had been contained to a ball flickered violently in all directions.

"Huuuuh'GAAAAAH!"

The flames engulfed Naruto's body singeing him and cutting him violently. The wind from Naruto's Wind Rasengan feed the flames in Sasuke's fireball jutsu, enlarging it from 1 story in diameter to 4, leveling a complete area of the forest, burning everything.

In the center of the now treeless area Naruto laid blackened, face down in the dry earth.

"So, this one isn't a clone." Madara examined.

Sasuke floated down to the body with his remaining wing.

"You can't kill me as easy as you did my family, you worthless piece of Konoha-shit."

Cough cough… Naruto extended his left arm and pushed up with his right trying to get up.

_This is it… I knew it…._

"Sasuke. End this." Madara ordered.

"Yes, my master."

"Mind if we join in?" Came a familiar voice.

_Who's that?_ _It's…_ Naruto's eyes glimmered.

Their eyes shot up to see both teams 7 & 8 were there.

_Kakashi Sensei!_

"Yamato, Hinata, and Kiba, go get Naruto." Ordered the copy-ninja.

"Hai!"

"No, Hinata, I'll go." Sakura said, looking at Kakashi pleadingly.

Hinata looked back at Kakashi for the answer.

"Okay. Everyone else, stick around… I will need your back-up." He said slipping his foreheard protector up to reveal his Sharingan.

Sakura, Yamato, and Kiba leap into the crater, landing in front of Naruto and between him and Sasuke.

"Ah, more Konoha pigs to the slaughter." Said Sasuke.

Naruto looked up to see his friends. He smiled. They came to save him.

Sakura looked at Naruto, who was burned even more horribly then when he had become the Kyuubi that one time…

_Did he transform again?... no… look at those cuts… it must have been from his own technique. Naruto… why do you go so far? You can barely move. _

_"_Naruto-kun"

"It sickens me that you all pretend to care about each other so much."

Sakura thinks in disbelief... Everytime she saw him again, he just became colder and colder.

"Always… with the 'Kun', the 'Chan', the 'San', but in reality Konoha shinobi are soulless animals who could care less about others."

"How can you hurt Naruto-kun so? He was just trying to bring you back… all his life all he's tried to do is be your friend, Sasuke-kun, we came to help, Naruto and I… because we're your friends. We'll help you get your revenge. We're looking for that bastard Itachi too-"

"Don't you dare talk about my brother that way, you dog!"

_Sasuke-kun, what are you saying?_ Sakura was confused.

"You turned me against him, you made me kill him, everyone in Konoha did." The dark haired boy screamed tormented.

"But… how… how can that be? Isn't Itachi the one you have always hated so deeply, down in your heart?" Sakura's eyes shook with sadness.

"No… the one that I hated, was you."

"Sakura-chan, don't listen to him, Madara has poisoned his mind." Naruto warns her.

The name strikes fear into Yamato.

"Impossible…" is all that Yamato manages to say.

"I hate all Konoha shinobi. I wish for nothing but your deaths."

_Sasuke-kun… _

"Enough Sakura, Naruto is right. There's no changing his mind now." Yamato exclaims forming his last seal as wood binds Sasuke.

Meanwhile above the crater, on the tree tops, surrounded now stood Uchiha Madara, one of the Akatsuki.

"It's been awhile Kakashi-san."

"Do I know you?" The copy ninja asks coolly.

"No, you don't know me, but this body I inhabit… let's just say you know it as well as your left eye."

Madara grabs his mask and removes it. Revealing a face, about the same age as Kakashi, his hair is black. His left eye is missing but the one eye that he does have, sports the Sharingan.

"NO!... it can't be!"

"Yo! Kakashi." Madara waves at the copy ninja.

_Genjutsu_? Thinks the silver haired shinobi…. _but who else besides Sasuke, Itachi, and I have the sharingan?_

"My name is Uchiha, Madara." Madara answers, almost as if he read his mind.

The chuunins were worried, who was this person who made Kakashi-sensei, one of the most powerful ninjas in Konoha, shake as if he'd just seen a ghost. Even Shino was worried.

"Using your eye of insight on me won't frighten me."

_"I don't intend to frighten you, Kakashi."_ Said Madara's voice inside his head.

"I am amazed at how well you've managed to grow into using the sharingan, I as an Uchiha recognize you as an able shinobi, I must thank you for watching over my children for me."

"His children?" Asked Shino.

"Your three little former genin."

"What are you talking about?"

"Thanks to you my plans will come to fruition. After my little incident with the Kyuubi and Shodai-shit, I was banished from Konoha, but you see, these eyes, that we possess are cursed, we can see visions of the future, true foresight. And within it, I saw an heir and a means to achieving my dreams. Seeing my inevitable meeting with you, when you would be only a child, I used you, knowing you would grow into an able guardian, to protect them until they were ripe."

"What are you? How did you get Obito's body?"

"Shame, shame, you don't remember me? We met after that Minato-brat left you and Rin. I was an old Uchiha in need of a younger body, when I saw your sharingan I mistook you for one of my clan. But to my disappointment you did not possess a body I could use. But peering into your memories I saw your friend who disappointedly had been crushed, it took me quite the time to regenerate my body after I switched…"

_Regenerate?… you monster…_ Kakashi thought.

"Sticks and stones, Kaka, sticks and stones…. " Mocked Madara.

"Enough!" Kakashi made a signal to the other shinobis, but before they could react, Hinata fell over and Shino was blown away by something.

"HUH? Hinata, Shino!"

"Hm, hm, hm… you'll need to be faster than death itself to defeat me Kakashi."

Sai leaped at Madara unable to use his normal jutsus because of the rain, Madara turned towards Sai and he suddenly stabbed himself in the thigh.

"GAH!"

_Unreal… I can't even follow a single movement with my Sharingan._

_"How disappointing Kakashi, you said you wouldn't get frightened."_ Madara's voice rung in his head.

Kakashi snapped to attention too late as Madara appeared behind him. All he could do was put up his arm as Madara kicked him in the side of the head, sending the copy ninja to the ground.

[…………………………………………………..

Sakura was holding Naruto in her arms.

"Naruto… you idiot…" she said crying.

"Heh heh, crying again…"

"I always cry because of you."

_Because of me?_ Naruto's eyes widened.

"Now!" Akamaru! Kiba shouted positioning himself to perform Gatsuuga with Akamaru.

They can't move as Yamato has bound Kiba and Akamaru, instead of Sasuke.

"No!" Yamato exclaims in disbelief.

Sasuke appears behind them.

"Taichou, behind you!" Kiba shouts.

Sasuke charges a weaker version of chidori readying it to pierce through Yamato, but as he gets close, Yamato summons wooden spikes out of his body impaling Sasuke.

"How about wood against fire?" calls another voice in front of him as the Sasuke that was impaled by Yamato vanishes.

"Katon!"

Sasuke rains down fireball after fireball on Yamato. When the fire clears it's only a wood kiwarimi.

"Childs-play." Sasuke says creating a fireball in his fist.

Yamato launches out from underneath the ground and is caught in the face by a punch by Sasuke.

"Sakura-chan, run… He isn't going to let any of us live this time. He's completely different."

"I'm not going to leave you Naruto-kun." Her eyes warm, it was the only comfort Naruto had as the burns on his body continued to riddle him with pain.

"If you want to continue to insist that you care about him so much, then I shall send you two to the afterlife together." Sasuke appeared right in front of them.

"Sasuke, NO!" Naruto screamed.

He grabs Naruto's pouch as he tackles Sakura, grabbing her neck, running with her and forcing her into the wall on the other end of the crater. He leaps back throwing four kurenais which pin Sakura up against the wall, stabbing her forearms and shins.

"AAAAAAAAA-EH!" Sakura cries out in pain.

"No! Sakura-chan!"

"Hm… you two seemed to be getting along quite well, Sakura-'chan'." Sasuke spoke coldly. "You're not boyfriend and girlfriend are you?"

He glanced back at Naruto who was desperately dragging himself over to them. Then he gazed at her, almost laughing at the notion.

_This… this can't be the Sasuke-kun I once knew…_Sakura was weakening, the rain was causing her to bleed even faster than normal.

"What happened to my place in your heart, huh? You said you loved me. Now you love Naruto? … You can only love one man. Let's find out." Sasuke said coldly.

"Sasuke, let her go!" Naruto begged.

_Those eyes, such hate… _ Sakura thought. _ Naruto was right…_

"Shut your damn mouth you monster! Only now shall you begin to know the pain of watching one you love suffer in front of you."

"NO!" Naruto pleaded.

_Damn fox…. Now!_ Naruto screamed inside his head.

_**YOU FOOL. IF YOU HAD USED MY POWER BEFORE AND DID AS I SAID WE WOULDN'T BE HERE!**_

_Please Kyuubi, I will release you, even if I have to kill myself, if you help me save her now… _

Kyuubi? Naruto had never called him by his name in their conversations…

_**HMPH. YOU CAN DO NOTHING WITHOUT ME.**_

Red Chakra started leaking out of Naruto again.

"Too late monster." He said grinning.

Sasuke turned to Sakura who was looking away, grabbed her by the face, and forced open her eyes.

_NO! Naruto! Help me!_

"Sasuke, don't you fucking touch her!"

_"Let's find out who you love Sakura-'chan.'"_

Sasuke's Sharingan changed, the little circle swirls changed to look scythe-like and started spinning. She tried to look away but he held her fast and the pain coursing through her arms and legs was sapping away her strength. Soon the world darkened… she almost seemed to black out.

[…………………………………………………..

Sakura snapped too. She got up, and she was no longer pinned to the wall but chained to the ground. The chains were connected to the kurenais in her arms and legs. Pain throbbed through her every muscle. She could barely feel anything anymore, only numbness. The sky was red.

**CRRRRRRRRRRSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHH-KOOOOOOOM!**

Lightning flashed in front of her revealing Naruto and Sasuke fighting…the teams were there too. But something was wrong, Naruto had transformed into the Kyuubi and he had four tails showing now. The creature swung violently at Sasuke but never hit him. Sasuke hid behind the team members.

_Oh no! Everyone move!_

Every time Sasuke hid behind a team member the Fox demon would swing violently missing Sasuke but tearing the team members to pieces. She could only watch in horror as on the cold ground lay the torn bodies of her friend…

"NO! Naruto!"

She pulled at her chains, no matter how much it hurt she had to stop Naruto. She yanked, and yanked, each time the kurenais got lose a sharp pain would shoot through her body.

_I have to stop him… he'll hate himself forever!_

"AGH!" She yanked with all of her might, blood gushing violently from her wounds as she got free, despite the wounds on her legs she ran at Naruto.

"Naruto-kun… stop!"

The creature stopped its attack on Sasuke and turned its head toward the approaching kunoichi.

It swung its tail violently at Sakura, before she had a chance to react, it cut her clear in half, top and bottom.

_Na… ru… to…._

She started to cry as she felt the lifeblood slipping from her body… But what was this? She wasn't dead… an attack like that should've clearly killed her.

Kyuubi stood over her.

"Why? … Why, Naruto?" She cried.

_**BECAUSE…. I. CAN'T. LOVE. YOU.**_ It answered back, mockingly.

"He can't love you Sakura because you are weak."

"He can't love you because you are ugly."

"He can't love you because you treat him like shit."

The bodies of her comrades starting moving….

_What? What?_

She was horrified. They all descended upon her. Repeating the reasons as if chanting as they grab hold of her arms and hair. Pulling and scratching.

"You don't deserve him."

"Sakura-chan!" A faint voice came.

"Huh?" _Naruto's voice_.

The creature's maw opened up revealing two hands, pulling them apart.

"Sakura-chan… save me!" pleaded a voice from within it's mouth.

It was Naruto… he pulled himself out of the creature's mouth, half his body was hanging out. They both fell flat onto the ground as the balance seemed too much for the creature. Naruto scratched at the ground, trying to grip something that would give him a way out. He looked up at Sakura. Tears ran down his face. He reached out for her desperately.

"Help me, Sakura!... Please! I need you!"

_Naruto-kun!_

"I'll save you!"

She tried to free her self, anything, her arms, even her legs, if she could just reach him.

The creature started to stir, it bit down on Naruto's legs.

"AAAAAAAH!" Naruto shrieked.

"Naruto! NO!"

She summoned all of the super-human strength she had and turned over so her head was facing Naruto. She extended her arm.

"Naruto. Reach!"

The creature bit down again.

"AAAAH!"

_Please dear God, let me reach him!_

Suddenly a familiar shadow fell on the two. It was Sasuke's shadow.

"No hope…" the shadow said as a sword came out of the ground underneath the arm Naruto was reaching with, piercing it. The dead bodies continued to grab at and pull Sakura down.

"NO!" screamed Sakura. "Let me… Let me GO!"

"Sa… kura…" Naruto was weakening.

"Don't you give up on me Naruto!"

Another sword protruded from the ground this time piercing his left shoulder.

"Damn you!" she screamed at the dead bodies.

"I… I…" he was fading into unconsciousness now.

"No! Naruto. Stay with me! Stay with me! Wake-up!"

The corpses became snake-like, wrapping around her arms.

"NO!!!!"

_Damn it strength! Where are you!_

They became thin and jagged, combining together to form a kurenai chain. The more Sakura struggled, the tighter it squeezed tearing into her flesh.

"AH!"

The swords retracted, the creature stood on two legs now and opened its maw one last time.

It's shadow as well as what was left of Naruto's body sticking out of it's mouth fell on Sakura's face as it chomped down one more time.

**KKKKKKKKKKKKKAAAOOOW!**

Blood splashed on Sakura's face. Her face went dead, as the world went dark again.

"AH!!!!!!" Only her voice could be heard in the darkness.

Over and over, again and again in the darkness she heard chomping. Then like a voice in the distance.

"Sakura-chan…"

_… Huh?_

"Sakura-chan….." the voice grew stronger.

_… just let me die…._

"Sakura-chan… hold on."

_That voice….? It can't be… _Naruto?!

She closed her eyes and when she opened them again, she was back on the battle field and her face was wet… everything was blurry… she couldn't see anything… only the colors orange and black… It was Naruto. He was hunched over on his hands and knees, across her torso.

"N… Naruto?"

"Hey… UH!... Sa… UH! Sakura-chan." Came a warm voice but what was happening to him, it sounded like he was being hit.

Lights flashed behind his figure every time he groaned in pain.

Her face was still wet. She reached up at touched her face… it wasn't water… she held her hand in front of her face to see what it was… and she saw dark red…

Sasuke was wiping Naruto with the lightning bolts that descended. Yamato laid unconscious and burnt and Kiba and Akamaru were out cold.

"Naruto-kun… don't…"

"Don't worry, UH!... Sakura-chan…UH! I'll protect yo-UH!"

[…………………………………………………..

"Raikiri Shadow jutsu!" Kakashi created Lightning clones that surrounded Madara. He was panting hard, his Sharingan was uncovered and he was bleeding from the chest.

"Ooooh. Interesting, you're original move right?"

Kakashi unleashed the jutsu creating a controlled electric field zapping Madara, who simply shrugged it off. Kakashi was confused. Madara's body was revealed to be covered with wind chakra.

"Hm… well, seeing as how you're not using that eye in the fight anymore… mind if I have it back?"

"?!"

Madara suddenly appeared in front of Kakashi and kneed him in the throat.

Kakashi fell of the treetop falling on and snapping several branches on the way down.

Kakashi gasped for air.

"This is no fun anymore." Madara appeared and stepped on Kakashi's throat holding him down.

He peered into Kakashi's eye. Kakashi closed his right eye quickly, knowing that Madara was going to use a doujutsu. Madara's eye flashed green and his tomoe multiplied into several creating three other sharingans in his eye. There was a burning sensation in Kakashi's eye.

"AAAAAAHHH!!!" Kakashi's voice could be heard from miles away as birds flocked away sensing danger.

Madara stood up, his left eye was restored…

All Kakashi could do was hold onto the left side of his face as he hunched over.

"Out of respect for this body which has served me well over the years, I shall let you live. Have fun being a normal shinobi… hm hm… former copy ninja Hatake Kakashi." He said as he turned to leave. Suddenly a bright blue glow appears behind him. "Tsk, tsk, tsk… I guess I shouldn't be surprised… even with the Sharingan you were always a one trick pony huh? Obito would be disappointed."

"Don't … act… like you know him!" Cried Kakashi.

Kakashi blazed faster than lightning at Madara who only had to side step to his now blind side, as Kakashi missed wide across Madara's left side.

"Very well, I shall end your life the way Obito's ended his."

"Rock slide jutsu!"

Huge chunks of stone ripped out of the ground and fell onto Kakashi.

"Don't worry, I won't be using your friend's body much longer."

[…………………………………………………..

Sakura was now on Kiba's shoulder, as Naruto got her there. She was so tired. She couldn't move a muscle, her head. She couldn't think straight.

_My vision…. Must try…_ she placed her hand on her head… and started her medical ninjutsu.

"AH!" It was painful because of the holes in her forearm. And because of the Mangekyou Sharingan, it was hard for her to concentrate and focus her chakra. She kept it up… only hearing the roar of what sounded like the Kyuubi and thunder…her vision started to focus.

She looked in front of them, and saw…

_Please no! Not again!_

Naruto was fighting Sasuke. He was powering up his fourth tail just like in the nightmare.

On the ledge of the crater Madara appeared.

"Sasuke, end this now before he fully releases it!"

"Yes, my master."

Yamato looked at Sasuke's hand seals.

"Crap!" He recognized them as the ones Sasuke made when they first met at Orochimaru's. Sasuke finished his seals, and this time there was no one around to stop him.

"Zeus of the underworld!"

Lightning crackled from his left arm into the ground.

"Make it in time!" Yamato panicked.

The ground began to glow as suddenly a wooden shell began to encased Yamato, Kiba, Akamaru, and Sakura.

"No! What about Naruto!?"

"Kiba, hold her!"

The last thing she saw before they were completely encased was Naruto roaring as a bright flash engulfed him and everything within her view.

_Naruto…_ was the last thing she thought before she blacked out

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Naruto and all characters within the story are copyright of Masashi Kishimoto.


	10. Chapter 9

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**CHAPTER 9: THE DEATH OF NARUTO**

Bum-bum…

_Ah!… my head…_

Bum-bum

_What…?_

Bum-bum

_Where am I?_

**TTTTTHHHCTCH!**

A sharp pain shot across his face.

"Wake up idiot."

_That voice… was I?_

His eyes opened but only his left eye was able to open all the way. He was in a cave, and standing there to the right of him was Sasuke.

"Sasuke…"

**TTTTTTTTHHHHCTCH!**

"Don't you dare speak my name!"

A sharp pain shot straight up through his back. He looked down, and there piercing his stomach, stuck into the wall, was a sword.

"It's to make sure you don't get out of hand Kyuubi." Madara's voice said.

"My name is –"

**TTTTTHCTH!**

"So this is another student of Jiriaya-sensei, eh?" said a man standing next to Sasuke.

"It would seem so…" replied a blue haired kunoichi. "The legacy of Kushina and Minato."

"The son of Namikaze Minato." Stated another voice, hiding in the shadow. Naruto tried to focus his eyes even more, all he could see was some slight distortion in the cave wall, but he could make out the figure, it looked like a giant venus flytrap. The other two before, one looked like him accept with orange hair and tons of piercings, the other was a beautiful blue haired girl. They all wore Akatsuki garb.

_Son?_ Naruto thought confused.

"You knew… my father?" he asked the orange haired Akatsuki.

**TTTTTTHCTH!**

"Shut up!" Sasuke demanded.

The orange haired Akatsuki member looked at him for a second. "He was my rival."

"Who… who was he?" Naruto waited to get hit.

"Naruto…" Sasuke smiled. "It would seem you are also a victim of Konoha's brain-washing."

"What?"

Sasuke grabbed the sword in Naruto's stomach and charged it with his Raikiri.

"AGH… AH…AH!"

"But that does not absolve you of your sins. Naruto… you never knew who your father was did you?"

Naruto did not answer. It was taking everything he had just to stay conscious now, he couldn't afford any more hits.

_I have to get out of here. But my hands are tied and I can't form any seals… and the fox… Kyuubi…_

He looked at his stomach.

"Hm hm hm! I guess you'll never find out." Sasuke mocked.

"Now, now, he is about to die after all. We should give him one bit of information. It may torture him even more to know." Madara came in and suggested.

"Your father, Naruto, was the Fourth-Hokage, Namikaze Minato."

_No… it can't be._

A different kind of pain wrote itself across his face now.

"Master you were quite right. How does it feel Naruto? To know that Konoha, the village you fought for, and _killed_ for has betrayed you?"

_Why didn't they tell me?_ He thought somberly.

"Oh, that's so sad. A boy going his entire life without knowing who his father was… why didn't anyone ever tell him… tsk, tsk, that is just too sad. Hm hm hm." Madara feigned sadness.

_But he died fighting the Kyuubi and s… and sealed it in me…_

"No… it's not true!" Naruto was glad to finally know who his father was but if it was true, that would mean his father knowingly sealed the kyuubi inside him.

"It's true. Your father left you to a cruel fate." Madara said.

"He probably didn't want you in the first place." Sasuke adds.

"No!!!!!!"

"Shall I end your suffering?" the orange haired shinobi asked.

"No! He's mine to kill." Sasuke protested.

"Then do it already and quit-" The orange haired shinobi started coldly.

"Pain-kun! Please you only have a little bit left to wait."

Sasuke looked away, pissed off.

"So… Sasuke… you have joined the mad-men." Naruto said jokingly.

**TTTTTTTTTTCHTCH! KKKKKKKKERNCH!**

"Shut the fuck up!"

Naruto coughed up blood as Sasuke punched then kneed him.

"Master, I can't take it anymore… can I kill him now?"

"I suppose I have kept you waiting long enough. Come, let Sasuke have his revenge. We must finish by tonight.

Madara forms seals with his hands that Naruto has never seen before. The room starts to shake… the very foundation seems to almost give way as a loud low groan echoes throughout the cave.

_What the hell is that?_

Sasuke, and the others sat cross-legged and formed a line.

Deep down in the depths of his mind, even though it has been quieted, he can feel the Kyuubi's desperation.

_If he's scared… then it's inevitable… _

The wind blew past Naruto, ruffling him as it moved. It felt good, like he wasn't in pain for a second.

_… Sakura-chan…_

[…………………………………………………..

**HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHFFFFFFFFFFFFEEEEEEEWWWWWW**

A wind blew across her face.

_"Sakura-chan…"_

_Naruto…?_

Sakura came to. The air was moist and smelt of leaves in the autumn. She knew what it meant. She was back home. She sat up and rubbed her forearms. They were itchy, like they had just scabbed, but there was nothing there. There was a lot of noise, as if a mass of people were gathered close by. It sounded like the whole village was there. They must have been under the Hokage monument. Where people were to go should there ever be trouble for the village. There was shouting, all of which sounded angry and confused, driven by panic. Amongst the cansonance she heard a friendly voice.

"Sakura-san… thank kami your ok."

She turned to see a girl dressed in a black robe, with short mouth-length black hair, holding a pig.

"Shizune-sempai?" She looked around and the room was full of all her friends and teachers. "Everyone…"

_Wait… people are missing. … !!!_

"Where's Naruto? Where is he? Is he in another room?" She asked excitedly.

Everyone's gaze turned to some other place other than where her eyes could meet theirs.

"Please…" she begged. "Where is he?"

"Sakura-chan." Hinata came forward. "They took Naruto-kun…"

"No… NO! They couldn't have. Kakashi-sensei was there…."

Tsunade walked forward. "Sakura, Kakashi was seriously injured as well."

Sakura searched the room to find Kakashi lying on a bed with bandages covering him.

"From what I heard you were all lucky to get back home alive. Uchiha Madara is back, somehow he is still alive…"

Sakura jumped off her bed and almost fell flat, if not for Sai catching her.

"Sakura…"

"Is there a search party looking for Naruto?" she looked at Tsunade.

Tsunade looked away.

_What?!_

"We have to go save Naruto! What's everyone waiting for?"

"We can't go Sakura-san." Shizune said sympathetically.

"Sakura… I wish we could, but at the moment, we have other pressing matters." Tsunade stated sadly. "The other four ninja nations have declared war on each other, as a strange shinobi, with dark hair and red eyes, has gone from country to country killing Kages claiming to be from other countries."

Tsunade's words fell deft on Sakura's ears. There was only one thing she was concerned about right now.

"I don't care about that! Naruto's out there all alone right now, captured by Akatsuki no less. We have to go save him."

"Sakura-san… do you know how long you've been unconscious?" Shizune spoke up.

She looked at Shizune, fear swelling in her throat and sadness gripping her heart.

"You've been out cold for almost a week…"

Shizune couldn't speak the rest. Tsunade came forward again.

_No…._

"Sakura, chances are… Naruto is already… "

_Don't say it…_

"Dead."

Her hands shook, her body shook, her very foundation… she fell to the floor.

"No…"

"Sakura…" Shizune started.

"No…!"

She started to cry.

Ino came and sat beside her, regardless of her rivalry, Sakura had lost two people she loved and no one deserves that kind of pain in their life.

"The bonds of youth are strong but when another flame is lost… that makes it hurt all the more." Exclaimed Gai as he too started to tear up.

Tsunade couldn't help but sympathize with her. After all, she too carried the burden of four she held close going beyond her reach. Jiraiya had not returned from his mission to Amegakure the week before. And that boy, that blonde shinobi… she had thought he was going to grow up to success her as Hokage.

In her mind all Sakura could see was a million flashes of every smile Naruto ever gave her. No matter what she said or how bad the situation was he always gave her a smile. And all she could hear were the last words she said to him… "_I! CAN'T! LOVE! YOU!"_

_He was going to tell me… he was going to tell me he loved me… and now I'll never hear it… because I was such an idiot… _

She cupped her head in her hands now as the tears just flowed…

"Na… Na… ruto…." She cried. "Why? … Why didn't I tell him?"

Hinata, who was watching, now also started to cry. No one in the room could help it. Naruto had touched all their lives in one way or another even for those who didn't know him as Naruto but as the monster fox the fact that this girl cared for him so deeply it meant that that wasn't all he was.

_"You'll have to wait Naruto… but next time I'll help too."_ Sakura's tears slowed… as she hears the voice of her younger self almost three years ago.

_That promise…_

_"This time… I'm going to save them both!"_

_Why am I crying? All I've been doing is crying. Even after training for years when I thought I got stronger all I could do is cry… I haven't seen his body yet._

Sakura stopped crying and stood up.

"Sakura-san…" Said Ino concerned.

"Naruto is alive." Sakura said believing whole-heartedly. "I'm going to find him."

"Sakura-san-" Shizune said concerned.

"Shizune-sempai, I've known Naruto a lot longer than you. And I know that he's not going to die so easily just yet. He can't be dead. So you can keep your opinions to yourself." She didn't mean to be rude but Shizune, who to her credit always was realistic, never seemed to have anything positive to say about people's choices.

"Sakura calm down-" Tsunade protested, trying to keep her from doing something foolish.

"NO! Don't tell me to calm down! Naruto wouldn't be in this danger if the stupid ninja wars didn't have people seal bijuu into Jinchuuriki. Because of that since day one everyone, even me" She said sadly realizing. " has done nothing but judge him for something that he didn't do. He's not the demon fox. He's not some monster, or some weapon to be used. He has feelings. Everyone treated him like crap. Despite all that, Naruto never saw anything but the best in everyone's hearts. He believed in people for them. To me, he isn't just some monster fox, he's more. And we didn't even send out a search team? How can we call ourselves his friends? You can sit here and give into your despair, I know Naruto would come out to find me. I'm going to do the same for him. He's alive. I just know it."

"What makes you think that?" Tsunade asks.

"Because he still has to become Hokage" She says showing no signs of hesitation.

Tsunade smiled, She couldn't say anything. She knew exactly how Sakura felt. And no words or force on Earth could stop her.

"Fine… but first we need to figure out where we're going to search." Instructed the fifth Hokage.

"Not a problem!" Jiraiya sat in the window, he was also covered in wounds. "The toad-hermit, has the answers."

"Quit acting so cool!" Tsunade marched over to the window.

The way she walked over to him intensely, everyone was sure she was going to trounce him, but instead she stuck out he hand and healed his wounds.

"You idiot, why didn't you send word of anything?" She said under her breath.

"Well, you see, I was kind of unconscious until only a day ago." He said scratching his head. "But that aside. Its time to get serious… when I discovered whom I originally thought was the Akatsuki leader, I managed to get a few bits of information out of them before I was injured. Uchiha Madara, as well as Naruto is waiting for you at the Valley of the End where Uchiha Madara has set the battle of the five nations." He said holding out five declarations of war.

"That's suicide, even for him." Tsunade exclaimed.

"…It has been rumored that many years ago, sealed by the five great nations was the warrior-bijuu… Apocalypse… whose terrible and insatiable power was so feared by the five nations that they joined forces to seal it away, separating his power into 9 different smaller bijuu."

"That's only a myth…" Tsunade replied.

"It would seem not…. Akatsuki is trying to re-awaken it by filling it with the chakra of the other bijuu."

_Naruto…._

"Madara Uchiha will be waiting there. Sakura cannot go alone. Who else will go?" Tsunade asked.

"Sakura-chan, count me in." Lee said enthusiastically as he jumped forward. "Naruto-kun is a close friend of mine that I acknowledge."

Hinata steps out of the crowd. "I… I will go too." She says smiling to Sakura who smiles back.

Neiji walks forward not saying anything. Everyone looks at him, waiting for him to say something. "Naruto-kun has been the only one to defeat me, I still owe him."

"If he's gone I won't have anyone to play pranks on." Kiba chuckles walking forward.

"He's loud but he's always been my friend even when others weren't." Chouji adds joining in.

"I like talking to him." Shino says just as awkwardly as Sai would.

"Sakura, you're my friend and you can count me in." Ino smiles, taking Sakura's hand.

"Thank you." Sakura replies back.

The adults in the room look on full of pride. Yamato smiles at Kakashi who does the same.

"Things just aren't as fun without him here." Tenten mentions.

Tsunade smiles. "It looks like we have our shinobis, but we don't have a captain yet."

"I wouldn't say so just yet." Comes a voice sounding particularly passive.

Ino and Chouji's eyes light up as Shikamaru enters the circle with them.

"Shesh, he's always been a pain in the butt, huh?" He says jokingly to Sakura. "But! He is a friend worth saving."

"Thank you, Shikamaru."

"The springtime of youth is here again. Its flames are so magical it moves the heavens and earth to weep." Gai exclaims clutching his left fist and crying.

"Oh! One more thing…." Shikamaru says indicating the door behind him.

Everyone in the room is surprised as Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro enter the room.

"Kazekage-sama." Tsunade says acknowledging Gaara.

"In this war and whatever is to come after, the Sand village shall stand with the Leaf village, if we are welcome to do so."

The two kages stood there not saying a word, the whole room waited for her answer. Here stood two representatives of what for a long time were two rival villages. And though they were once rivals, Naruto had bridged that gap, long ago, just as the Great Naruto Bridge of Wave country.

"You are welcome indeed." Exclaims Tsunade smiling. Holding out her hand. Gaara takes it and shakes it.

Gaara turns to Sakura, in his eyes, which no longer had bags from restlessness, seemed to hold an apology. "You're an important person to Uzamaki Naruto, I shall lend you my sand, in finding him. And although it may not give me an automatic defense anymore, I remain just as powerful."

Tsunade was surprised. He had lost the jinchuuriki but kept the powers?

Sakura smiled. _Naruto… look at all the friends you have. All the great things you've already done._ _Wait for me, Naruto. I'm coming for you._

[…………………………………………………..

In front of the group of Akatsuki stood a giant wooden creature, which to the Akatsuki was no longer the still monster it was, but it's arms moved and it seemed to be aware, much more so since they added the eight-tail. It had shaken free of the shackles restraining its arms. Unlike before though it was almost invisible now, seeming to go corporeal and the reason was on the floor between the red-cloud-clothed shinobis. It was a giant seal. There was a giant glow flowing from creature to the seal. As its finally defining lines disappear into the seal, its groan still haunts the cave.

"It is done!" The Sharingan master shouts happily.

"Now master?" Sasuke bows.

"It is time for your ascension, and our revenge on the crimes of Konoha."

Sasuke walks over and picks up the seal, walking over to Naruto. He pulls out the sword.

"KHAH!!!!" Naruto gasps.

"Any last words beast?"

Naruto is barely conscious now. His skin gaunt as a ghost.

"If……… If... I did… kill your family…… I'm sorry Sasuke… losing bonds… **…. **Bonds … like that…. …. Is so painful… … I'm sorry … I made your life… miserable… for the life… you've led…"

"KKKKkkkkk." Sasuke hesitates.

"What's wrong? He killed your family…." Madara goads him on.

"AH!" Sasuke shouted as he formed a bunch of seals Naruto had never seen before. A glow emanates from Naruto's wound, as a black spiral appears on Naruto's stomach. The characters on the scroll appear before Sasuke. The beam fires through Naruto.

"Gggggkkkk…" Was the only sound of pain Naruto could make as he could feel everything inside him burning.

_Good-bye… Iruka-sensei…. Kakash-sensei…..Ero-sennin…._

His muscles tense so tight from contracting they began to rip, and with every pop Naruto shook violently. Naruto said his goodbyes as he prepared to die. There was nothing he could do, he had no strength left and the Kyuubi was being controlled by the sharingan. The burning sensation filled every vein, every organ. Expanding everything, his skin started to bubble.

"AAAAACK!..." He was so tired. Every time his muscles tensed he slipped more and more into unconsciousness again.

_Hinata-chan… Shikamaru…. Chouji….. Ino…… Sai……_

His body shook so violently now that he broke his arms and legs, freeing himself from the shackles. The pain from the burning sensation was so much that he didn't even feel anything as his bones pop.

_**I WILL NOT DIE! I WILL NEVER DIE! DO YOU HEAR MADARA!!!**_ Screamed the demon fox inside Naruto as the darkness inside the cage grew smaller and smaller, he was like a cornered animal, but because of the Sharingan he was unable to do anything.

_**BRAT! BRAAAAT! DO SOMETHING!!!!**_ The bijuu pleaded desperately.

_I'm sorry Kyuubi, that you wound up in someone so weak… I'm going to die now… I'm so grateful for all my friends… I had so many before I died… I'm so grateful for their help… and even to you you damn fox… for all the times you lent me your strength… My only regret…_

Naruto looked hard at the ceiling, looking past the cold stone rocks that encased him with his will-be murderers, and thought of clear sky, as sun was about to rise. He was in a field of tall greens, reds, yellows, whites, and … pink. At the other end of the field he could make out a girl, dressed in a red top, wearing a black skirt, soft pink hair, warm green eyes, and a smile…. that could melt… any…

"Gu-waaaaack…" he spit up blood.

His tears fell onto the cold floor.

_Good-bye … Sakura-chan, _he smiled.

"GKkkkkkk … AH ah GRAAAAAAH!" with Naruto's last ounce of strength he let out a cry that could be heard for miles away, before finally his body went limp and his eyes which were so full of life, went dim. His body fell to the floor as the last remaining aura of light eminating from the seal disappeared.

Sasuke looked down at the body of his former friend. It was strange to see Naruto just lying there. No sound, no annoying comments, no easily angered boy, who Sasuke had grown with. It was just lifeless. He had gotten his revenge and despite his rage he felt empty… as empty as if he had just killed his own brother.

"It's… done…."

"Excellent job Sasuke-kun. We must not delay. There is still one more step in the total annihilation of Konoha. And in a couple minutes we must be ready."

His part was done now, his journey, avenging his family, all his life he was in disbelief that it was his own brother who did it, only to find out it was a brother who did do it.

"Rest in piece… idiot…"

The other Akatsuki just watched quietly as Sasuke walked over to Madara. And knelt down.

"Now show me the Sharingan of the last survivor of Uchiha."

Sasuke closed his eyes for a second, and opened them again, his eyes revealed the most powerful and possibly most potent weapon a single shinobi could have, the Sharingan. Madara sat cross-legged across from him.

"It is time." Madara smiled. Using some seals Madara creates a glowing Sharingan hieroglyph on the floor where he and Sasuke are sitting. Black chakra seeps from the objects that look like the tomoe. Surrounding Sasuke…

"Thank you Sasuke… you have no idea how useful of a puppet you've become."

Suddenly….

**FFFFSH!** Images start appearing in Sasuke's mind.

_What are these?_

**FFFSH!** An image of the first Hokage appears….

They appear as malads pounding on his brain.

An image of the Kyuubi being formed from the chakra of the giant wooden creature Sasuke had just sealed. It is being created by Madara and a group of Uchihas appear.

An image of Shodai arguing with Madara about who should be in charge.

Images of horrified sharingan users appear… ones Sasuke had never seen in the village before…

Flash of a scroll of Uchiha… It reads: "_When the first Uchiha and the last Uchiha join, only then will they be able to break the curse and control the creature."_

An image of Shodai defeating Madara appears.

Image of Orochimaru when he was younger appears.

"_Only an Uchiha can live forever using this technique… but I will show you one similar to it."_ Sasuke hears Madara's voice.

An image of Obito crushed under rocks appear.

An image of a young Kakashi appears.

Madara's smile appears.

Then a flash of his brother appears standing in front of him.

_"Konoha is planning to kill off the Uchiha clan… the only power strong enough to defeat the other shinobis in Konoha is that of the Mangekyou Sharingan. There is only one way to obtain it."_ It is Madara's voice again.

There is a flash of the Uchihas he knew in his village being slaughtered. Being killed. Among the faces of his fallen relatives he sees the face of his father and mother.

_"How can this be?" _Sasuke's father says in disbelief. His mother runs in.

_"No!"_

_"Run, dearest!"_

"MADARA! What are these?!" Sasuke screams now unable to move.

"Hm hm. Hm hm…" Madara snickers. "Soon you will know. And too soon now will you be unable to do anything about it.

Flash of a little dark haired boy entering a room in his house to see him, his parents lay dead on the floor.

_It's me?_

Itachi sitting in a trance to the left of his parent's body.

_Itachi?_

_"Hm…? You also have the potential for the strength that is needed. Let's find out who has the greatest potential shall we?"_

_That voice… Madara!!!!_

Image of Sasuke sitting next to Itachi both in a trance.

"_Hate Itachi… only then will you be strong enough to kill him and avenge your parents."_

"Madara!!!!!! You! You killed my parents…."

"I've been found out…" He laughs. "It's all but too late now. You shall become my new body, but through me you shall have the power of a god, when we join we shall control the ultimate Bijuu: Apocalypse! The War Bijuu!"

"No!" Sasuke screams trying to struggle free of the jutsu.

"It's already too late. You can no longer move your body because I have taken over it already…"

"You bastard!" Screamed crying.

He had been tricked by this man, to kill both his brother and his best friend, because of him he had been left all alone not only for his childhood but his teen years… because of this man, he had no single bond, for years, he was consumed by his hate for the killer of his clan, he hated him so much that he was willing to be erased from existence to get his revenge, and now, he was being erased from existence by the very man who actually killed his parents.

"You … bastard…." He was a child. Exposed now, with nothing left. He was truly alone.

_Sakura… I should've stayed… maybe then… I could've been happy…_

"She's not in love with you any way as you discovered." He smiled callously. "What? As you can see my memories, I can see yours."

_He was the killer… and I was only an arm's reach away from killing him._

"How sad… you were so close to your families' killer the whole time… but now… it's time to say good bye."

Sasuke looked over at Naruto's body one last time as his mind slipped into darkness.

"I'm sorry... "

In a bright flash it was over. Madara emerged.

"Yes… this body…. I can feel the power coursing through it!"

"Madara…" Pain spoke.

"Yes… we must test Apocalypse." He said looking at Naruto's body. Awaken. Apocalypse!"

Naruto's body started to steam as different streams of Chakra came gushing out of every angle. His body stood up. He growled as nine eyes appeared on his face now.

Pain moved forward to Naruto's former body.

"Obey me now. I am your lord and master." He said.

"EEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRKKKK" the creature replied.

"It is time Konan. Come let us descend upon the ninja nations, and rid the world of war, by uniting them with war."

Suddenly on all the eyes on Naruto's face a Sharingan appears, twisting several different ways.

A fist of lightning bursts through Konan's chest as she falls to the floor covered in blood.

"Konan! What is the meaning of this Madara? We had a deal." Pain speaks almost feeling pain himself.

"Oh, rest assured my friend, I will unite the world… but there's one thing I don't like to do… and that's share power!"

"My… love…" Konan leaves behind an origami rose. Which slowly starts to turn red because of her blood soaking it. When she dies her body gives off a blue chakra that flies into Naruto's eyes and back out toward Madara's eyes.

"You shall pay dearly!" Pain's eyes begin to glow. But then two arms wrap around Pain's eyes. It's Zetsu.

"Oh, I'm afraid I'm going to test it on you." Madara gloats.

"You traitor."

"Madara is my master now." Zetsu speaks as a zombie.

"Then you must die as well."

Suddenly Zetsu's body falls to pieces as if slice by something repeatedly. His body gives of the same glow as Konan's did and follows the same path.

"You are a monster." Pain comments.

"I'm the monster? Have you looked in the mirror lately?"

Pain's eyes glow again as he imagines Madara being stabbed through the chest with a Raikiri.

Suddenly Madara's chest bursts open.

"OOoof!" Madara falls to the floor, but then he gets back up.

"My regeneration jutsu is even greater now and with the soul chakra of your fallen lover, I've gained a what you call… touch of immortality."

Pain says not a word, he only squints his eyes again. This time he imagines Madara's heart being torn out.

"I'm afraid … that won't do." He says gleefully as his sharingan's tomoes turn.

"Ha… ha ha ha ha…. Ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

Pain falls over… apparently bleeding from the chest. His body's chakra is given to Madara.

"Come my pet. It's time we took the world by storm."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Naruto and all characters within the story are copyright of Masashi Kishimoto.


	11. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER 10: IN THE TIME OF DESPAIR, LOVE, THE LIGHT OF HOPE…**

The colors of that which held lush green life in the Forest of the End was clouded by the smoke of battle, as for miles thousands and thousands of shinobi from all over the world fought and killed one another, blinded by fear and panic they desperately call forth their deadly ninja arts. The forest is littered with the dead. Blood flows as freely as the river. What everyone fails to notice is that every time someone dies their chakra would fly away from their bodies. There were so many bodies on the battlefield, both living and dead, that vision became easily blurred, as if it were raining humans. The air was filled with the battle calls of warriors, the cries of dying fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, the wails of children agitated by some irrational fear of each other.

As Sakura and her friends approached the oncoming darkness a sudden silver flash comes up close behind them.

"Huh? Kakash-sensei!" Sakura said confused.

"Yo!" He said smiling underneath his mask.

"I thought you had to stay behind and-"

"I told you I wouldn't let any of you die remember? Besides… I may not have the Sharingan, but I was pretty good before I had it too."

"Thank you Kakashi." She said smiling.

_Naruto, I'm almost there._ Her eyes fixed in front of her.

"Arrow-link!" Shikamaru ordered.

"Roger!" everyone replied.

Lee took to the head of the group.

"For Naruto-kun!" He yelled anxious for battle.

Sakura's team made a phalanx shape charging their way to the base of the cliff, where there was an abandoned cavern for ninja who needed emergency supplies.

As they ran five enemy ninja jump in front of the group.

"Konoha senpu!" Cried Lee as he did a spinning kick knocking them all away.

A huge rock barrier is erected in front of them.

"Got it!" Sakura said. As she pulled her right fist back building up the chakra and unleashing it all as she smashes through the rock. It collapses on the rock nin behind the barrier. They all jump over the rubble. As they reach the clearing right before the cliff's drop, there are too many shinobi, they have to stop. It is too congested, as they land there are 12 kage buushins in front of them.

"On it!" Tenten says unrolling one of her scrolls. Dozens of kurenai fly at the opponent popping all the buushins, they turn to dust, but as they turn to dust it is revealed they all are carrying an explosive tag. The tags begin to burn as they explode. When the smoke clears, Gaara has erected a shield of sand over all of them. When he lowers it, hundreds of kurenais come flying at them. Hinata and Neiji use their rotations and deflects them all. As more shinobi's appear, Kiba and Akamaru create trap holes under them, with their Gatsuuga. Shino provides cover with his insects, and Ino forces several ninjas to fight amongst comrades. They held their own but it seemed as though every time they defeated one foe, three more would replace them.

"Neiji, I've defeated 40 shinobis already. You better keep up." Lee said taking out his nunchaku.

Neiji just scoffed. He rotated taking care of clear 25 shinobis all at once.

"You too Tenten." Lee sasy with what looks like a simple swing, 10 surrounding shinobi fall over.

"That Lee." Tenten complains as she flips through the air, a scroll twirls around her firing off hundreds of kurenais attached to different tags, some giving off sleeping gas, others laughing, others itching.

Kankuro's puppets fly through the air firing rapid poison darts at several enemies.

"Water Dragon swipe jutsu!" Kakashi declares as water swirls around his feet, then unleashes three dragons who rotate around him blasting enemies away.

"This is getting us nowhere. Chouji, Kazekage, Temari!" Shikamaru ordered.

"Right."

"Yes."

"Hey, we're ranked higher than you." Temari replied smiling like a smart-alec.

Chouji uses his multi-size attack to extend and enlarge his arm. With a swipe of the arm he swats away 50 enemies.

Temari swings her fan, blasting away an entire area of enemy shinobi.

Gaara extends his arms using the sand from the ground he floods the cliff sending the rest of the shinobis off.

"Alright, the path is clear." Sakura declares, happily.

But as she does so a beam rips out of the cliff-side, sending several of them through the air.

A roar echoes throughout the valley.

**EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRR!!!!!!**

Gaara manages to shield everyone from debris and help the ones flying through the air land safely.

Two giant hands made of what looks like blue flames reach from the hole created by the destroyed cliff.

"What is that?" The pink haired kunoichi asks.

**EEEEEOOOORRRRRRAAAAH!**

As it raises its head out of the crater, nine ominous eyes gaze around wildly.

The creature pulls itself out of the crater. Half of its body emerges. Its torso seems to be made of stone and wood. Its mouth is covered in jagged teeth. Its shoulders are covered by several hills of wood and stone.

"That's…" Shikamaru says shuttering in its sight.

"The War Bijuu… Apocalypse." explains Kakashi.

Sakura's eyes look away from the creature…

_If it's been summoned… that means…_ She sees Naruto's face. _He's gone…_

"Sakura-san…" the team gathers around her.

"Naruto-kun…" Hinata-chan speaks sadly looking at the creature.

_I'll never see his face again._ Sakura thinks feeling her strength drain.

"Uzamaki Naruto…" Gaara adds.

**EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRR!**

The creature roared defiantly.

All the shinobis fighting had stopped to gaze in terror, the older shinobis, because of the knowledge of the oncoming danger, the younger ones simply because the creature's cry alone was enough to strike fear in the strongest of shinobi, almost as if its sound alone assured death. The creature opened its mouth. A low grumbling sound vibrated through the earth.

_Naruto…. Are you in there somewhere? _Only Sakura's face was not of horror. It was of deep sadness.

**EEOOOOOOOOOOOOOOEEOOOOOOOOOOEEOOOOOOOON **

A mist came out of its mouth, like an eerie fog it scattered into the air then collected together in the sky, churning and bubbling into black storm clouds. And as if some virus every other cloud it touched turned black. Lights flashed furiously inside it.

Neiji only looked on in terror. What he saw, was horrifying, nine different charkas swirling together, each one had a face, swishing up and down it's body.

"Hinata….?" Was all that he had the courage to say.

"I see it…" She said, shuttering.

The creature clenched its fists and held its arms close to its body, charging up for an attack.

"Everyone find cover!" Kakashi yelled.

"Sakura!" Ino cried, snapping Sakura too.

The monster punched out its fists and then opened them after it reached the full range of motion. Suddenly lightning struck out of the dark cloud, bolts ten meters in diameter lashed out at the lands in every direction, flashing twelve times, hundreds of shinobis killed.

The bolts ripped past Sakura, Kiba and Akamaru had to jump to get out of the way. Trees fell on Lee but he luckily managed to punch his way clear, shattering the trees with his fists.

"We have to retreat… we won't last long against it at this point." Sai exclaimed, for the first time ever emitting an emotion… the emotion of terror.

"No. It's safest close to the creature. It's using long range attacks. As long as we stay hidden, we'll be a lot safer here." Shikamaru stated.

Streams of blue seem to bleed right out of the earth as the soul chakra of hundreds of shinobi flew through the air collecting in one spot.

"Look there, on its shoulder!" Kankuro exclaimed.

Everyone looked, there on its shoulder stood Sasuke or so they thought, wearing Akatsuki garb.

Sakura's eyes narrow. Her anger focuses.

_Sasuke!!! You did this to Naruto!… I will not forgive you._

The air blurred as the creature was building up chakra in its mouth. Despair fell on the valley as ninjas were fleeing for their lives now. Trampling each other, killing each other to get ahead.

"Yes! You see? All those different ninja villages, kages… They are nothing, in the end, you are nothing but animals. But I will change that, I will create a utopia, once I have cleared the world of your venom." Madara proclaimed riding on the monster's shoulder. "Apocalypse, unleash the fires of hell upon these fools!"

Flames and ash showered from its mouth, as a giant glow shot forth hitting the earth, causing a crack in the land. A huge explosion happens in the distance sending shockwaves for miles, knocking down trees. The air is on fire. Shinobis are burnt alive

Those in the vicinity who are not burnt run around screaming, covered in flames. The Earth splits apart, as magma starts rising from the very veins of the planet.

"We have to get to Sasuke. It seems he's the one reaping the benefits of the creature's killings." Shikamaru states.

"Get me up there, and I'll crush him." Sakura says, deadly determined. "I can never forgive him for taking Naruto-kun away…"

A streams of blue chakra continue to blaze by them towards the Madara.

"I'm not so sure it is Sasuke… his Chakra is completely different…" Neiji says.

"It's almost as horrifying as the monster's." Hinata adds.

"He must have undergone another change, created by Madara." Kakashi adds. "Madara was talking about switching bodies… it may be possible that he can switch bodies like Orochimaru did."

"I don't care! Madara, Sasuke. We have to make them pay. We don't have time to just sit around and do nothing, because we did that, he died. If no one else is going to go, I will go! Anyone can try to stop me but I'll kick your butt." Sakura stands up fighting back tears.

_I've never had the strength to do anything… I couldn't protect Naruto at all… but now… now I can at least avenge him._

"Sakura stop!" Kakashi, cautioned. "Do you think Naruto would've wanted you to get yourself killed trying to avenge him? Hasn't Sasuke's path taught you anything?"

Kkkkkk…. Sakura clenched her teeth and sat down.

"We will get Madara, but we have to do it wisely. We need a plan."

[…………………………………………………..

Now shinobis tried attacking the demon but nothing had any affect on it. It simply absorbed it and came back with an even more devastating attack. Humans weren't the only things affected by it. The landscape was being completely reshaped. The life from the trees started to whither as the leaves turned orange and fell, the trees, turned ash grey, and contorted. Life seemed to be fleeing everywhere the creature laid its gaze. Someone tries shooting a fireball at Madara, he slaps it away.

"Fool! You think you can harm a god?" Madara exclaims arrogantly. "Now taste my wraith! Apocalypse, destroy the cliff!"

**EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeoooooOOOORRRRRRRRR!!!!**

Forty-five beams of light pierce the ground on the cliff.

"Beams of chakra?" Kankuro shouts.

"No… it's the creature's tails!" Neiji's face is etched in horror.

The beams start to bubble and move, wriggling from side to said as if they had their own life. Each movement cutting the land. They start to move faster leaving the earth covered in dust clouds. They follow the other tails creating a circular shape… as they reach the former tail's hole. The land crumbles. The lake drains into the cracks of the shattered land. Shinobis are drowned and buried and crushed. Blue streams of light flicker wildly across the land and through the dust storm to Madara.

"YES! YEEEEESSS!!!!!" he said, drooling with power. "GIVE ME YOUR LIFE FORCE!!!!!!"

The creature lets out a roar as the rotation of the tails underneath cause a huge collapse. The land crumbles. Dust causes impaired vision for miles. For minutes no one is able to see. The creature lets out another roar as it creates violent tornados everywhere clearing the dust and debris away to reveal a giant ball of sand encasing the konoha shinobis.

"It can't be!" Neiji panics.

"What is it Neiji?" Kakashi asked.

"Naruto…"

Everyone turns to Neiji, awaiting news on the mention of their fallen camrade."

"Naruto? Where is he?"

"His chakra. It's confining the creature's chakra to its form."

"What?" Ino asks surprised.

"What does that mean, Neiji?" Tenten asks.

"It means… that creature… is Naruto…"

_No it can't be… the monster is him? Naruto would never just murder in cold blood._ His smile flashed in her mind again. _Naruto, just what did they do to you?_

"If it is Naruto… that means he's probably being controlled." Shikamaru stated. "If we take out the controller, we might be able to calm him down."

Suddenly the ground they stood on shook violently.

"AH!" Gaara fell to his knees.

"Kazekage!" Kankuro shouted concerned.

"He's trying to get in. I don't know if I can take another hit."

"Quick, someone decide what we're going to do before-" Before Kiba could finish his sentence, a bolt of lighting cut the ball in half. They scream as their individual halves plummeted towards the broken earth.

"Ah..UH!" Gaara stabilized both halves.

"Gaara…" Temari looked on worried.

**EEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAHH!!**

To their horror the creature was looking right at them. It now stood full stature at 80 feet high. "Oh! It seems we do have some Konoha ninjas participating in the battle." Madara said playfully. "I was going to save Konoha as sort of a dessert for my pet here."

"You sick bastard!" Sakura cried. "Give Naruto back!"

"I'm sorry I can't do that now. Everything I take, I take for keeps. Just like all your greedy little shinobis and your villages."

"Why?" Sakura cried. "Why did you do this to him?"

"Oh dear. It was nothing personal… he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. You sure surprise me though Sakura-chan. I didn't think you cared this deeply for Naruto. I mean come on, he was loud, and annoying, the bane of all his friend's existence, right? I mean it's impossible for any one to care about him… let alone … love him right?"

"SHUT-UP!" Sakura screamed, rage filled her every pore.

"Those were the words you used weren't they?"

Sakura covers her ears.

"Fools, I grant you what you all wished for, no one annoying, or troublesome, our loud, or worthless-"

"How dare you!" Hinata said. "Don't you dare speak about Naruto like you know him."

"It's pointless speaking to those who are going to die, anyway." The Sharingan master sighs.

Shikamaru places his hand on Sakura's shoulder and looks at Madara. Wind blows his hair around as he smiles.

"Change of plans everyone. The plan is simple: kick his butt."

"As if you could even get close. Apocalypse!"

The bijuu screams again, conjuring mini tornadoes that cut up the sand into several pieces.

"Gaara get us in close!"

Gaara lowers himself to the ground while the other pieces he throws at Madara.

The winds continues to cut and slice the sand pieces.

Neiji and Lee jump from piece to piece closing the gap between them and the Sharingan master. They land before the others. Neiji swipes at Madara's legs as Lee kicks downward toward his head. Madara jumps above Neiji's swipe, as he blocks Lee's kick with his left forearm. Neiji just smiles and falls into a wide armed stance.

"Hakke Hyaku Nijuha Sho!!!!" Neiji declares. While Neiji strikes Madara 128 times Lee flips backwards from his kick landing and thrusting himself at Madara again.

"My turn! Primary Lotus!" Lee declares landing a kick on Madara's chin, sending him flying into the air. What were faces of achievement turn to faces of frustration as Lee's kick sticks in Madara's head and Neiji's last blow sinks into his chest.

Using his Byakuugan, Neiji knew what was going on.

"Earth Buushin?"

"Oil buushin." Said Madara appearing to their right.

There was a explosive tag attached to the buushin.

"Shit!"

**PPPPPEEEEEOFFFF!** The explosion sent the two flying away, while they were burning.

"Neiji! Lee!" Tenten calls, unleashing her weapon summon.

They all pierce straight through Madara, and he falls limp.

"Alright Tenten!" Ino calls excitedly.

To their dismay, Madara stands up, his wounds were gone and the weapons that still stick in him pop out.

Madara looks to his left, Tenten looks to her right as Apocalypse' arm swats down, knocking them towards the ground.

Hinata, Kiba and Shino land around Madara. Shino lifted his arms creating a tornado of bugs, lifting Madara off the ground and covering him completely, Kiba and Akamaru use Gatsugaa cutting up the body, as the body falls, Hinata readied herself. She created a kaiten similar to Neiji's but hers had spikes that stuck out. Madara's body falls in and is cut up. Inside the vortex Madara's body bounce around.

[…………………………………………………..

Sakura floats in front of the creature's eyes.

"Naruto! Naruto. Can you hear me?"

The creature looks at her like a child observing a toy.

"**EEEEEORRRRRK"** Its roar cuts her up and knocks her off of her sand plate. Gaara manages to catch her.

_Naruto… don't you recognize me?_

Please Naruto… change back.

[…………………………………………………..

"Water style: tiger jutsu!" Tiger claws burst out of the vortex and cover team 8.

"Chidori nagashi!" The water intensifies the electrical currents that run through their bodies.

"Raikiri!" Kakashi leaps at Madara only to be dodged and stepped on by him. Madara forces Kakashi's face down into the creature's shoulder. But as soon as he gets in the air, cherry blossom petals surrounded him. There were slight blurs in the air, but as his eyes focused three giant painted lions come crashing through the cherry blossom petals, tackling him. As he falls onto the ground a big puff reveals the one who got tackeld to be Sakura. Sai tries to stab Madara from behind only to be kicked in the face by Madara as he flips forward. They all fall forward.

"Pathetic… as to be expected of Konoha shinobis."

Their bodies rattle as their skin cracks to reveal puppets. The puppets fire off poison gas balls and fire off twenty kurenais each. Madara jumps out of the fog only to be met by a gust of wind.

"Take that!" yells Temari as she waves her fan at Madara.

"Katon!" Madara begins his fire seals.

"Crap!" Temari knows she's in trouble.

"Water style Dragon Jutsu!"

A dragon made of water comes crashing down on Madara slamming him into the creature's shoulder.

As he starts to get up a shadow reaches into his.

"Shadow bind." Declares Shikamaru, as the shadow of a hand makes it's way up Madara's neck.

**BO-KA!**

A huge sound echoes as Chouji slams his huge hands down on Madara.

[…………………………………………………..

The creature tilts its head, did it recognize her? This little pink haired creature.

"Apocalypse! What are you doing?" Destroy them! The Sharingan user calls out to it.

"No! don't!" Sakura pleaded.

… It hesitated…

"Damn it! Seems part of that brat still lingers. I have to take care of her before something goes wrong."

Madara lifts Chouji, slamming him into Shikamaru, despite the shadow bind. He leaps after Sakura.

"You little wench come here." Madara screams as he punches her in the facing sending her flying to the ground.

Gaara manages to soften the blow, with a patch of soft sand.

_Naruto…_ Sakura thinks hoping to reach Naruto.

"You, kill them all!" Madara orders Apocalypse, as he leaps after Sakura.

"Everyone protect Sakura!" Kakashi calls giving his own orders.

They all leap away as Apocalypse swats at them hitting its shoulder. Its tails raise up ready to swing at the descending shinobi when suddenly he is wrapped in sand.

Gaara groans.

"I've used up most of my chakra already…. Is this the best I've got?" The Kazekage asks of himself.

Madara lands kneeing Sakura in the stomach full impact. She coughs up blood.

"I can't afford to have you around any longer." Madara says.

"Leave her alone!" Kakashi demands, landing behind him.

"I'd like to think I was a really patient man but you all seem to want to die right away, as is with stubborn shinobis." Madara says annoyed. "Fine, I shall forgive you all only if you become part of me. Now die as you witness my true power!"

A curse seal emanates from his Sharingans and as it covers him his body starts to bulk up. Glowing. He sprouts wings and his shoes tare to reveal talons. The earth shakes again as another monster joins the battle, one that looks like a man-hawk. He grows horns and has blue skin that is covered with tomoes.

[…………………………………………………..

Gaara is doing everything in his power to simply keep the sand around Apocalypse. The creature stares at him for second, two different eyes recognize him, those of Naruto's and those of Ichibi's Shukaku. The creature inhales, greatly expanding it's stomach. Gaara's eyes widen. He knew this technique all too well.

"No!" He holds his hand out in front of him to create a sand shield, as the wind bullet impacts there is a furious sand storm that develops. There after it clears, Gaara lies on his back still conscious but unable to move.

[…………………………………………………..

_Something's wrong, I'm not yet as powerful as I should be._ Madara notices his speed isn't as great as he thought it would be.

They all leap to save Sakura, but as they do, Madara arches his head back and draws his arms to his side, clutching his fists, he glows brightly and then unleashes his power.

"HAA!"

A bright light absorbs their figures as from space you can see a little ball glowing. The impact is so great it pushes Apocalypse over. The gusts of wind roll for miles pushing over trees and throwing bits of earth everywhere. The shockwaves are felt all the way back at Konoha, where there is also a battle taking place.

Sakura opens her eyes. She can feel the wind breezing by her. Her body is light like she's floating. Where she is she can see the tops of the trees. She looks around Lee and Chouji are close to her, their bodies are burnt and cut up. Looking ahead of her the ground gets closer and closer, the wind gets louder and louder, until…

**WWWWWWWWWTTTTTTTTSSSSSSHHH**

With a loud thud, she hits the earth, her body bouncing off the ground she lands on her back.

Gaara looks over to where the fight is taking place. He sees several figures in the air in free fall. He extends his arms.

"Guhhhk!" he groans trying to muster something to cushion their falls.

"Fools, waste my time." Madara scoffs as the bodies of his enemies land all around in the crater created by his attack.

**EEEEEEEOOOORRRRRRR**

The creature is on its belly next to Gaara.

"Uzamaki Naruto." The sand Kage says.

**EEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAH!**

The creature is angry, furious that something seemed to attack it. It picks itself up off the ground, roaring and swatting around aimlessly. It lashes about violently, knocking Gaara in the air again. He lands in some trees with a thud.

"Uzamaki Naruto!" Gaara screams angrily. The creature stops for a moment, and looks at the little ant. "Aren't you stronger than this? How can you be controlled? The Uzamaki Naruto I know would never allow himself to be a tool."

**EEEEEEEERRRRRRRR!!!** The creature roars as it reaches down towards Gaara to grab him.

"Naruto would never break the bonds he fought so hard to protect!"

The creature stops.

[…………………………………………………..

"Hm… it looks like I'll have another loud mouth to deal with." Madara says starting to walk away.

"Give Naruto back…." A voice faintly speaks.

Madara turns around. To his surprise Sakura slowly picks her self up off of the ground, and strikes a fighting pose.

"It is pointless little girl. You cannot defeat me."

"If you are so sure of yourself shut up and fight, or are you so weak that you're afraid?"

_I have to find a way, no matter how impossible it may seem. I will see him again._ Sakura promises herself.

"Insolent little wretch. You dare speak to your god that way?" With that he disappears from Sakura's vision.

**KKKKKKWAAAP!**

Madara knees Sakura in the stomach. And backhands the back of her head, she flies a few feet away and then skids across the gravel.

"Now you know."

"That was nothing!" Sakura says, smiling and getting up again. "You have yet to see me fight."

_It looks like somehow Gaara has Naruto preoccupied… If I can get rid of Madara… We can get Naruto back…. I have to do something… but what? Think… think…_

She closes her eyes to focus. She opens her eyes. She runs over to Tenten and Sai and grabs Tenten's bag of weapons and pulls two kurenais out from it. Sakura charges in throwing numerous weapons, stars, kurenais, small daggers, and caltraps. Madara just catches or deflects them.

"This is it?" Madara mocks. "You make this too easy."

Sakura concentrates her chakra as when she punches through boulders. With his Sharingan Madara sees this.

"So easily predicted."

Sakura stabs Madara as hard as she can. It punctures his skin.

"Nice work…. Too bad it's simply an annoyance. I hope you feel better now, because you're going to die."

Sakura steps away and smiles. There's an explosive tag attached.

"I stand by my statement." He smiles and punches Sakura in the sternum. She falls back slidding again across the rough terrain, gasping for air. As the explosive tag explodes, smoke is everywhere.

Sakura tries to get up but falls back down. She looks at the smog as it clears.

"I did it." She says smiling.

"Didn't do much that is."

Her eyes widen.

"I cannot emphasize enough how weak you are… it's a wonder why either of the boys cared for you."

"Damn you! Don't you talk about them!"

"Sakura why deal with all this pain? Become part of me, you can see them again. Sasuke… and Naruto-kun."

_Damn it body… move…. move!_ She screams at herself.

"You can become part of the most powerful being in the entire world."

"You're pathetic!"

"Huh?"

"You're nothing compared to Naruto." She said slowly getting up. "For all the abilities you posses, you posses not one ounce of strength."

"Why you stupid girl!"

"You think you're so tough, picking on those weaker than you. How does that prove you're strong when you're already stronger than them?" She said clenching her fists now.

"And what do you know of strength? You can barely make me blink. Naruto? He was weak, he couldn't even tell you how he felt. I defeated him, making him much weaker than me!"

"You're wrong again!" She shouted. "Naruto… he was truly strong. He had the power to make everyone else just as strong as he was, to lift everyone up to a new level. His heart was a million times more powerful than your fists. You are nothing but a pathetic weakling!" She glares right at him. Newfound determination.

"Shesh… You annoying bitch!" He shouts as he charges Sakura.

"Got you." She says as she pulls strings leading out of the ground next to her.

As Madara charges blindly at her, fifty kurenai fly out of the ground piercing and tangling Madara up.

"What? When did you…?" The Uchiha master asked surprised.

"I knew I had to eliminate your eyes that saw everything. So I feigned an attack with the kurenai. I was hoping you'd be the arrogant jerk you are and take it like an idiot. I attached an explosive tag which was just perfect, because you can't see through smoke unlike the Byakuugan." She said mocking Madara. "And when you knocked me away I planted this trap and covered it up as I slide across the landscape. And another thing: I know you have regenerative powers, which, no matter it's origins, uses up chakra, so these strings and kurenais in your body, I'm using my medical chakra to disrupt the flow, have fun feeling all that pain! I know it may not last long, but it'll give me the time I need."

Sakura pulls out Sai's blade that she had gotten prior. Concentrates her chakra again.

"I wonder if when I cut off your head you'll still be able to use Chakra." She shouts.

"No!"

"You brought this on yourself. You took away the two people I care about more than anyone. You hurt my friends, made fun of them, and mock everything they stand for. And for that I can never forgive you!" She said striking a swiping stance with the blade. "Now, there's only one thing you can do besides die." She said with her eyes burning fiercely. "Give me back my Naruto!"

Apocalypse turned his head, it recognized that voice, Gaara saw this.

Sakura ran at Madara, while concentrating everything on one single moment, one single point. This had to be it. All she had, everything left in reserves. She ran full speed, making sure not to look at his eyes knowing full well that one glance and her chance would be gone forever.

"No! Apocalypse, kill her!" Madara screamed.

The creature started to move towards them.

_No matter what I can't stop. Even if I lose my arms and legs I have to finish this._ Sakura promised herself.

"Stop Naruto!" Gaara cried. "She is fighting for you!"

The creature hesitates unsure of what to do. His master calls for him, but this other ant, he can't help but remember it having some importance to him.

"Now Apocalypse now! Splatter her blood on the field!"

"Don't you remember her?" Gaara says. "The one you fought so hard for?"

"Now! Now! Now!"

"Your greatest bond?"

"AAAAAAH!" With that scream she flew past Madara, cutting his head clean off. His body falls limp on the ground, as it falls it shatters into many little pieces.

She falls to her knees…

"It's over." She says dropping Sai's blade. She struggles to her feet, the amount of energy she has left is barely enough to take two steps. She turns around to face Apocalypse. "Naruto. It's over now. You're free." She said smiling. "How am I going to explain you to Tsunade?" She said jokingly.

"You won't have to." Said a voice.

Sakura's eyes bulged, filled with terror. Behind her the little pieces gathered and reformed Madara's body. She barely turns her head before Madara grabs her head and slams it into the ground.

"K'AH!"

"Don't you get it you little bitch? I'm immortal all thanks to your man there." He throws her up in the air.

"Sakura-san…" Hinata starts to stir.

The other team members start to wake but they're unable to move.

"Don't give up…" Ino says as a Madara forms seals and three lightning tigers strike at Sakura's defenseless body.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAuhhAAAAAHH!!" Sakura's cries reach the creature's ears.

Why did this little creature's noise hurt him so much?

"Naruto!" Gaara called out to him. "Look at her. The pain she is bearing, she is bearing for you."

KKKkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk…. The creature stood, docile, wondering.

For it? What did that mean? To bare the pain for someone else?

"She bares it because she believes so strongly in the bond you two share, that she would give up her life for it."

Madara picks her up by the collar of her shirt and shoots a giant fireball at her point blank.

"Naruto, the feelings you have. They are the same for her. You care about her. You once protected her from me, when I was a monster, even at the risk of your own life."

Naruto…. He kept calling him that, but the creature couldn't remember. Every time it did try to remember the significance of that name it's head pounded. Who is that?

As Sakura got to all fours Madara runs full speed and kicks her sending her flying through the air. As she lands she tumbles through the dirt a few times before stopping. Bruises started to appear on her body, as blood had already started dripping from her mouth. She was bleeding internally, and without chakra to use, she could not heal her wounds.

Gaara could sense the situation was getting worse, but his bones were broken, having been crushed by the creature's wind bullet.

"Look at her now Naruto…" Gaara spoke desperately now. "Can you stand there and watch someone you care about die in front of you? Can you watch as you lose Sakura too??"

_Sakura… that name…_

Madara picks up Sakura, by the neck. She looks like nothing but a rag doll in his hand now. She put her hands on his wrist, trying desperately to struggle free, but only managing short little sounds, as the air in her body started to grow less and less.

"Now, you die!"

He begins to choke the life out of her. Madara prepared a Raikiri in his right Talon.

The creature looked at her now. Her face was familiar. Images of her flashed in its mind. Images of her angry, of her surprised, of her crying. Then he remembered her smiling at him. She was one of the few people that had ever believed in his strength. Her face now… was a sad one… it was in pain… she looked up at him… her eyes… so alone…

Before she slips into unconsciousness she says the only thing that's on her mind.

"Na…ruto."

**EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRR!!!!**

The creature lets out a roar.

"Huh?" Madara takes notice of a change in demeanor by the creature he believes to be Apocalypse. "I'll finish you and attend to matters." He says as he juts his hand towards her heart.

"No! Sakura!" Kakashi screams.

"Move body!" Shikamaru orders himself.

"Aaaaaahhhhh!" Ino cried closing her eyes.

**THHHHHHHHCHHHHH**

Suddenly… his arm stops…. A hand covered with red and blue flames is holding onto his left arm. He turns in terror as he sees Naruto.

"Naruto!" Hinata exclaims.

"Always so troublesome…" Shikamaru smiles.

"What? Impossible!" Madara shouts confusedly.

"Take… ggrrrrr…. your hands off my Sakura-chan!" Naruto says, threateningly.

Madara tries to break away from the creature but it holds fast to his arm. It grabs the forearm of the hand holding Sakura and with a quick squeeze breaks Madara's arm.

"AH!... AHuhAAAAH!!!!" Madara screams releasing her. She falls to the floor. Naruto catches her with his tail and places her down gently. He looks at her for a moment, still not fully able to control his power. Naruto's chakra waves back and forth over his body, fluctuating between larger and smaller flames, changing colors. His eyes are white, but his intent is clear. He is going to kill Madara this day.

_This …. Bastard… _Naruto thought. There were no swears in the human language that could describe his cruelty.

"RAAAAAAH!" Naruto slams Madara into the ground. It steps on his back and pulls on his arms.

**CCCCRRRRRIKKK… POP!**

"AAAAAHHH!!!!"

Naruto breaks his arms and then kicks him in the neck, sending him rolling across the crater crashing into the wall.

Madara comes to, his body starting to heal.

"How is this possible?" Before he can even begin to think of an explanation, Naruto is hanging upside down staring him in the face.

"Apocalypse" He says using his Sharingan to try and calm it. He digs into its mind only to be forced out. His head snaps back from the backlash, denting into the stones behind him.

Naruto opens his mouth and shouts.

"**HA!"**

With his roar alone creates a giant ball of electrified water that hits Madara and pushes him back, cutting him and burning him, as he is pummeled through the earth.

Kakashi's eyes widen at the display of power.

"This… this is Naruto?" Neiji speaks in complete awe.

Naruto teleports over to Sakura…. Looking at her….

_Sakura-chan… you went through all this for me…_ He smiles sadly.

"RRRRRrrrrrrrRRRRR" His eyes wince as he tries to maintain control of his chakra… to not give into his feral side. He goes to touch her face but sees his hands. His nails are like that of a beast.

"N… Naruto-kun…?" Sakura speaks. 

**GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGKKKKGKKKGKGKGKKGKKGKGK**

The earth rumbles.

"AH!"

The mountains around crumble. As the ground splits apart to reveal Madara. His clothes are tattered, and he breathes heavily. His killer intent is as intense as his chakra.

_Good he's still alive… I can make him suffer for what he did to Sakura-chan._

Naruto starts growing fangs as his chakra waves wildly. More tails begin to appear. He begins to lose himself to anger.

"**RRRAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGKKKKKK!!!!"**

"You would bare your teeth at me, you're master? Fine then, I will just have to beat some sense into you… Kyuubi."

"I'll… ggggrrrrrr…. Kill….YOU!" Naruto roars.

Naruto disappears and re appears in front of Madara, he swipes down with his chakra-encased body. Madara dodges at the last second, Naruto's tails, now five in total, turn into hands and swing at Madara. Madara manages to block with his wings and his arms. Naruto swings his left arm at Madara who jumps to the side of it avoiding it. The force of Naruto's swing levels a whole row of trees. Naruto rotates mid air, picking up velocity, spinning like a top in the sky, he extends his leg to kick Madara in the face but Madara leans back and kicks Naruto in the stomach as he catches himself extending his arms behind himself. Madara quickly creates hand seals.

Rocks fall on Naruto, but break harmlessly on his back. A huge storm of lightning rips through Naruto sending him flying back. Madara appears behind him. Naruto unable to twist mid air due to the velocity he is being sent at through the air, head butts Madra in the face. Madara falls onto the ground bouncing off. As he stands up Naruto whizzes by slashing his left shoulder with his claws. Madara brushes the pain off as his shoulder heals almost immediately.

"You see, you cannot kill me. You don't have the power Naruto. You've always been weak. So weak you couldn't save this body and so weak you couldn't save Sakura chan from my wraith."

"**EEEEERAHeeeeeRAAAAAAAH!!!!!"**

A sixth and seventh tail appears. Naruto's form is completely overtaken by the fire of his chakra.

Madara is the first one to attack this time, shooting sand spikes from his mouth. They pierce through Naruto's body, Naruto leaps at the oncoming Madara only to be uppercutted by a giant fist made out of water that erupts from the ground. Madara jumps off the top of a tree, while creating seals, and flies above Naruto. As he finishes he puts both his palms together facing out towards Naruto and a huge wall of air fires down upon him. He creates a square shaped crater in the ground, flattening the plant-life. He fires off several rounds of flames from his mouth, lighting up the hole.

He lands next to the crater, only to have it give way under him as Naruto's tails grab hold of him and pull him towards the creature. Naruto creates a sand axe with his right hand and as Madara descends towards him he readies the finishing blow.

[…………………………………………………..

Ino who is up now, is performing medical ninjutsu on Sakura. The others gather around her, as Kakashi watches the forest light up different colors.

"What a battle…." He observes.

"… but who will win?" Neiji watches with his Byakuugan.

Ino looks at Sakura who's starting to get color again. She opens her eyes, coughing.

"Naruto?"

"He's over there…" Ino answers. "Fighting that Madara guy."

She looks off into the forest.

_Naruto-kun._

"Let's go." Shikamaru orders. "He may need us there."

"But can't you feel that?" Kiba says. "He doesn't need any of us there."

Kakashi looks at Sakura's eyes, eyes that long to be with the person she cares about the most. "He does need us." He says smiling.

Kiba looks at Sakura confused for a minute then smiles. "It's decided then, let's go!"

They all take off towards the thunderous sounds of blasts and punches.

Naruto and Madara leap at each other, punching and kicking, neither resulting in a hit. Madara tries a haymaker on Naruto with his right arm as Naruto punches him in the joint bending his arm. Naruto kicks upward at Madara. Madara catches it with his knee and elbow crunching down on his leg. Madara spins behind Naruto and kicks him in the back with his right leg as Naruto back hands him in the back of the head with his left arm, they both go flying in opposite directions through trees and boulders. Naruto plants his feet on a tree and using its bend he goes flying back towards Madara. Madara lands on a stone but using his chakra force he rebounds himself back at Naruto. He creates two Raikiris with his hands as Naruto creates two giant claws with his. As they meet the land cracks apart. They are both still. Naruto is growling wildly and Madara is shouting. Naruto has pierced Madara's stomach with his claws and is extending them while cutting him up with wind blades from his palm. Madara has pierced Naruto's chest with his Raikiris. They both spill blood.

"What an amazing battle!" Chouji remarks. The group can see the two fighting in the distance now.

"Just being in the presence of it is horrifying." Lee adds.

Sakura gazes at who she thinks is Naruto…

_No… not again…_ she remembers back to the time she tried to stop him on the bridge… _I'll save you this time for sure Naruto. No matter what even if it kills me, because you mean that much to me._

They continue towards the centre of the craters.

Naruto and Madara release each other as they both back away and land. They both heal automatically from each other's wounds.

"This is never going to end…" Madara says. "I'll have to use 'it' then. Before he becomes the Kyuubi again."

They charge at each other one more time at full speed. Madara is forming seals with his hands. Naruto leaps at him.

"Elemental seal. Cage of the stars!"

Suddenly Naruto is wrapped by every element possible, fire, water, and sand from underneath, lightning and air from above. Another substance forms, metal. He is completely covered.

"You heal fast but you won't fair so well against this." Madara says changing his final hand seal to a different one. Huge metal spikes punctures through almost every inch of Naruto's body.

"RRAAAAAAAHHHH!!!" Naruto roars in pain.

Sakura's heart sinks as she hears his cries.

_I have to move faster. He needs me._ She takes off ahead of the group.

"Time to finish this off." Madara says creating more hand seals. "Didn't think I'd have to use my trump card on a mangy beast. But it seems I have to erase your very existence on his planet." He finishes his hand seals and raises his hand. "Hellfire, judgment of the gods!"

_Make it in time, make it in time!_ Sakura yells as she leaps towards the two.

Madara laughs victoriously as he lowers his hand to deliver the final blow. Suddenly his hand stops….

"What?" Madara says.

"I won't let you hurt my friends anymore."

_That voice!_ Madara thought.

"Uchiha… Sasuke?"

"That's right. You won't use my body for your evils anymore."

"I knew it… this body was slower than it should've been."

Madara struggles to lower his arm but it starts to raise back up.

"You're dead, go away!"

"You… may have … used my body… but you cannot use my soul too!" He looks at Naruto. "Naruto… my friend…"

The creature stills.

"I acknowledge it here. You are stronger than me." He smiles. "Now … save me… as you have always promised to."

"NARUTO!" Sakura shouts.

The creature's eyes change back into the blues everyone recognizes and the ninth tail forms.

"AAAAH!!!" Naruto screams as the metal shatters from his chakra. He holds his right hand up. A huge swirling sphere of blue and sharp winds forms.

Sasuke loses his power over his body. As Madara begins to lower his arms.

"DIE!"

But before he lowers it Naruto has already reached him and placed the Rasengan directly in his face.

"NnnnnoooooOOOOOOO!!!!" Madara shouts as the ball engulfs him.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" For a the second before the Fuuton Rasengan Shuriken hits, Madara sees a vision of the Kyuubi in full form roaring at him from behind Naruto.

"So it came true after all." Madara says smiling bitterly.

A huge crater forms again as inside the giant orb Madara's body is torn to bits and pieces, they try to pull back together, but just before they reach each other a wave of water hits them, then lightning, then fire, then sand, then air, over and over again pressing him up against the earth, driving him through then pushing him out into space. The pieces get smaller and smaller, until they dissentarate completely.

As the powers dissipate the Earth finally settles as a crater miles and miles long is revealed. The surviving shinobi all stand in awe at the battle they just witnessed a battle that will never be matched and one that has forever left it's mark on the face of the Earth. Ninjas from all the other countries appear helping each other's injured walk, regardless of what their forehead protectors showed. They all stood on the edge of the craters with Kakashi and the others together.

Sakura walks through the fog of dust to where the sound of crackling chakra is coming from.

Naruto rears back his head and lets out a roar declaring his victory.

"Naruto?"

He snaps his attention towards Sakura.

"You did it." She smiles.

The creature gets on all fours, and growls… as if warning her to stay away. Some butterflies appear by Naruto but as soon as they touch his chakra they crumple and die. The ground that he stands on decays, becoming infertile and the water that touches him dries up. She continues to approach him regardless of the scene.

"Naruto… I have something to say to you. I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry for what I said in the forest."

**ggggrrrrrrrrr**

"I know you must be hurting…" Sakura said, her voice soft and gentle. "Because you've had this monster inside you… you fought to get everyone's acknowledgement… and they still ignored you and treated you horribly… and I'm no better than them…" Tears welled up in her eyes. "you cared about me so much Naruto… and I never saw it… I always yelled at you and made everything your fault… and even despite that Naruto… you never got mad at me once… instead you would smile and fight even harder to protect me… you would hide your pain…"

**KKKKKKKGGGGAAAAAAAA! **

The creature lashed out its tails at her, hitting her shoulder.

Sai started towards them but Kakashi put a hand in front of him, shaking his head 'no'.

"We still have to stop him." Sai protests.

"Only she has the strength to stop him." He replies.

Sakura winced. The burn was worse then when Naruto had hit her that one time. Tears fell down her cheeks.

"This isn't you, Naruto. Show me the kind Naruto I know… show me that smile … the real one, full of life and love for me…" Sakura continued. The tails continued to whip out at her, lashing her, bruising her, but she continued forth, every time she fell she got back up. "You don't have to be that anymore, you don't have to be alone anymore… because I'm here." She held out her arms wide open to Naruto smiling happily. "So please Naruto… don't push me away… don't hide from me anymore…"

All the tails whipped her at once… stabbing through her chest legs and arms… She fell down, but again she just got right back up, despite the blood dripping from her body, and continued to hold her arms out toward Naruto, smiling, hoping with every fiber in her body that it would reach him. "Naruto… I don't care about this pain…" She started to cry. "Because…because … the thought of not being able to be close to you… would be more unbearable then death… because Naruto…the truth is…" She said gently. "… the truth is… I … I love you." She cried.

The wind blew around her and flowed onto Naruto encircling him. The creature calmed, and the flames encasing Naruto slowly disappeared. It revealed a blonde haired blue-eyed boy in a torn orange and black jacket. Naruto was back.

She smiled and started laughing despite her coughing up blood, she continued to walk towards him.

_Just…just… one… just one touch… please…_ She thought crying, her vision blurring.

As the last few flames covering his face disappeared, before she could reach him and hug him, Sakura fell.

"Na… ruto-kun."

"Sakura!" Naruto called catching her. "Sakura-chan… Hey, green eyes… wake up. Eh? I'm here. I'm back. It's me." She didn't answer. "you wanna see that smile? I'll show it to you… my breath might smell but… hey, if you come back I promise I'll brush my teeth everyday.. huh?" She opened her eyes.

"Na… ruto-kun." She said weakly. "Please… don't ever leave me again…"

"Never." He said smiling at her.

She smiled back warmly. "I'm… I'm so happy… I was finally … able … to tell you…" Her breathing was labored now.

"Me too…" He said almost crying now. "But hey you can tell me that every day."

She smiled at him, she knew what was going to happen. "I'll still mean it everyday… even… even wh…wh…."

"No. NO! Don't you do that." Naruto ordered. "Don't you give up on me. Don't you-" He started tearing, unable to speak… She put a hand on his cheek and with her thumb wiped away his tear.

As the world turned dark his was the last face she saw. She was happy. Her hand slipped off of his face.

"NO!!!! NO!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Naruto-kun…." Hinata said.

The other Konoha shinobis were in tears. even Neiji could not help but tear up. These two people who were in front of them, had over come so many obstacles to be together… and then were cruelly parted again, it just seemed unfair. Kankuro and Temari carrying Gaara arrive to the sad scene.

The shinobis from the other villages could only watch this boy was no monster this boy who knew such pain and sorrow, a monster would not be able to cry so with such soul tearing pain.

Naruto's put his hand on her face. His tears falling on her still peach skin.

_**UZUMAKI NARUTO**_ came a low rumbling voice.

_**ARE YOU GOING TO GIVE UP THIS EASILY?**_

_Kyuubi?! Leave me alone._

_**WHERE IS THE SHINOBI WHO KNOWS NO LIMITS? THE ONE WHO WOULD PROTECT THIS GIRL NO MATTER WHAT?**_

_What can I do? I can't do anything… she's gone…_

_**YOU FORGET, FOOL, WE HAVE THE GREATEST CHAKRA IN THE WORLD. WITH IT… WE CAN DO ANYTHING.**_

Naruto's eyes widened and fell on Sakura. "Come back to me." He lowered his head and gently kissed the lips of his love. Still warm, still soft.

A wind started to gust around them. A golden aura shoots out of his body, turning night into day, splitting the clouds. Sakura starts to glow gold. Her wounds heal, every bruise gone, every cut vanished, her eyes opened.

"Naruto-kun?" she said confused.

"I told you I'd never leave you…" He smiled.

Sakura didn't know how it was possible but she didn't care. She smiled and laughed. They hugged. Suddenly a small noise echoed through the valley, it started as one small noise but soon hundreds of others would be heard too as the sound got louder and louder. Naruto and Sakura got up. The shinobis around the crater were all clapping.

"What's this all about?" Naruto asked.

Sakura smiled. "It's for you." She replied softly.

Naruto scratched the back of his head and chuckled.

"I missed that."

"Hm?"

"That weird little chuckle."

Naruto scrunched his eyebrows embarrassed, he smiled.

"And Naruto."

"Hm?"

She walks over to him.

"I missed you." She says looking up at him. She looked down kind of embarrassed as to what she was about to try to do. Naruto was nervous. He had never kissed Sakura for real before. His heart was beating fast, he breathed intensely. She could feel it on her hair, every time it ran across her pink strands, the butterflies in her stomach sent a tingle down her spine. She hid her eyes from his, glancing up only in small increments, then looking down. Every time she looked into his eye she melted completely, she was doing everything in her power already just to be this close to him. They were both intunned with one another, each look got a return look, and each nervous glance got a nervous laugh. She finally looked up at him giving him permission, and in her emerald eyes he saw a girl who loved everything that he was: annoying, loud, and all. She loved him without regret. She acknowledged and confirmed his existence and his love. There in front of her stood a man who loved her mind, body, and soul. He never judged her, not once, and always believed in her. She wanted to share her feelings with him completely. She was his to take. Their arms reached for each other without even a single thought. He lowered his head as she rose up to meet his, for a second both heads cocked back just a little to look at each other's faces again. Staring into those emerald greens his soul just plunged into them. She closed her eyes as if trying to keep him in there forever. He lowered his lips and she raised hers and as they met…. Crash Like two storm fronts meeting head on, their passions collided. The first touch of their lips are intense and clumsy, this was both their first time. They had to breath deep after the first; their noses touched breathing in deep the other's scent. He put his right hand on her cheek and his left arm wrapped over her shoulder, she put her left hand around his neck and wraps her right arm under his left, and then again as souls drawn to each other with the exhale, they met again, gently this time, taking in every sensation, soft, warm, lush. They fell into rhythm with each other's every move. He places his lip on her upper lip massaging them gently with his lower lip, the sensation was so delicious that she found herself biting his bottom lip a little. As he leaned into her more, she worked her left hand through his thick hair, each row rolling throw her fingers. She holds his head firmly to hers, as if trying to take him in completely. Their bodies touch completely know, they smile inside, truly and happily from the very depths of the hearts, as he, as she, knew they were where they belonged.

The gold aura, which had continued to emanate from Naruto from before, poured out now in even greater amounts, spilling into the sky as with a sudden flash, it started to rain gold. It sprinkled onto the land, causing it to glow. The dead trees disappeared and new ones grew in its place, rapidly. The shinobis who were thought dead found themselves revitalized, with their wounds completely gone. If they hadn't been so confused they probably would have started fighting again. But then, the clouds swirled and clumped and formed into nine beautiful creatures. Sakura stayed in Naruto's arms as they looked up.

Everyone watched in amazement.

_**"NARUTO AND SAKURA… WE THANK YOU… YOUR BOND WITH ONE ANOTHER, YOUR LOVE FOR EACH OTHER, PURIFIED OUR CURSED CHAKRA. WE ARE NOW FREE TO RETURN TO OUR HOME WITHIN NATURE. MAY YOU ALWAYS KNOW THAT LOVE. COME BROTHERS."**_ With that they ran towards the west, as the sun peered over the horizon they vanished into its golden rays.

"Naruto-kun!!!!!" came Chouji's voice.

"EH?"

"Sakura-chan!!!!" came Ino's voice.

There rushing down the side of the crater were all their friends.

"Everyone!" Sakura yelled, waving.

The group smiled as they ran towards Naruto and Sakura.

Sakura ran off towards them as Naruto turned to look at the sunrise.

_Goodbye… Kyuubi._ Naruto smiled.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata called.

He looked over at everyone who was gathered around Sakura.

_I have so many friends that are dear to me._

"HEY EVERYONE!" Naruto called after them as he ran to them. Naruto was so happy, he remembered that day he had returned home after training for two and a half years. He never thought he'd feel that good again… but here he was, Sakura loved him open-heartedly, he had all his friends and teachers… he had a family, sure it was a weird size, and sure their were a lot of weird people, but finally after all that time he was home.

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Naruto and all characters within the story are copyright of Masashi Kishimoto.

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**There you have it. The end. ******** I really really hope you liked it. ******** Please give a review if you have time, (ESPECIALLY LADIES for some reason 90 percent of the few reviews I've gotten are from males)) please let me know if something works well or if it doesn't.**


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